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ANITA  D.  S.  BLAKE 


SPANISH  PAPERS 


Ifcnicfeerbocfeer  Efcttion 


fcnfcfcerbocfcer  BDition 


SPANISH  PAPERS 


BY 


WASHINGTON  JRVINO 
The  Bridge  oj  Saragassa, 

Etching  by  Charles  A .  Plait, 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


"Knickerbocker 


SPANISH  PAPERS 


BY 

WASHINGTON  IRVING 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


COPYRIGHT,  1895 

BY 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


GIFT 


"Cbe  IRnfcfcerbocfcer  jpress 

NEW    ROCHELLE,   NEW    YORK 


preface  bs  tbe  j£&itor. 

A  LIMITED  edition  of  the  Legends  of 
the  Conquest  of  Spain,  with  which 
this  volume  commences,  was  published 
in  1835.  These  legends,  consisting  of 
the  *"  Legend  of  Don  Roderick,"  the  "Le 
gend  of  the  Subjugation  of  Spain,"  the  "Le 
gend  of  Count  Julian  and  his  Family,"  formed 
No.  III.  of  the  Crayon  Miscellany.  For  the 
chronicles  which  follow  them,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  *  "  Abderahman  "  and  f"  Spanish 
Romance,"  which  have  appeared  in  the  Knick 
erbocker  Magazine,  I  have  drawn  upon  the 
unpublished  manuscripts  of  Mr.  Irving  be 
queathed  to  me  by  his  will.  This  portion  of 
the  volume  is  illustrative  of  the  wars  between 
the  Spaniards  and  the  Moors,  and  consists  of 
the  *  "  Legend  of  Pelayo,"  the  "  Chronicle  of 

*  In  the  present  edition  these  appear  in  the  volume 
entitled  Mahomet,  Vol.  III. 

fin   the  present  edition   this  appears  in  Crayon 
Miscellanies,  Vol.  II. 

v 


182 


preface 


Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,"  the  most  illustrious 
hero  of  his  epoch,  who  united  the  kingdoms 
of  L,eon  and  Castile ;  and  the  * '  Chronicle  of 
Fernando  the  Saint,"  that  renowned  champion 
of  the  faith,  under  whom  the  greater  part  of 
Spain  was  rescued  from  the  Moors.  I  have 
selected  these  themes  from  a  mass  of  unpub 
lished  manuscript  that  came  into  my  hands  at 
the  death  of  Mr.  Irving,  because  they  bore  the 
impress  of  being  most  nearly,  though  not  fully, 
prepared  for  the  press,  and  because  they  had 
for  him  a  special  fascination,  arising  in  part, 
perhaps,  from  his  long  residence  in  that  ro 
mantic  country.  * '  These  old  Morisco-Spanish 
subjects" — is  the  language  of  one  of  his  pub 
lished  letters — ' '  have  a  charm  that  makes 
me  content  to  write  about  them  at  half  price. 
They  have  so  much  that  is  high-minded,  and 
chivalrous,  and  quaint,  and  picturesque,  and 
at  times  half  comic,  about  them." 


preface. 

FEW  events  in  history  have  been  so  original 
and  striking  in  their  main  circumstances, 
and  so  overwhelming  and  enduring  in 
their  consequences,  as  that  of  the  con 
quest  of  Spain  by  the  Saracens  ;  yet  there  are 
few  where  the  motives,  and  characters,  and  ac 
tions  of  the  agents  have  been  enveloped  in  more 
doubts  and  contradiction.  As  in  the  memor 
able  story  of  the  "  Fall  of  Troy,"  we  have  to 
make  out,  as  well  as  we  can,  the  veritable 
details  through  the  mists  of  poetic  fiction  ;  yet 
poetry  has  so  combined  itself  with  and  lent 
its  magic  coloring  to  every  fact,  that  to  strip  it 
away  would  be  to  reduce  the  story  to  a  meagre 
skeleton  and  rob  it  of  all  its  charms.  The 
storm  of  Moslem  invasion  that  swept  so  sud 
denly  over  the  peninsula  silenced  for  a  time 
the  faint  voice  of  the  Muse,  and  drove  the  sons 
of  learning  from  their  cells.  The  pen  was 
thrown  aside  to  grasp  the  sword  and  spear, 


preface 


and  men  were  too  much  taken  up  with  battling 
against  the  evils  which  beset  them  on  every 
side,  to  find  time  or  inclination  to  record  them. 

When  the  nation  had  recovered  in  some 
degree  from  the  effects  of  this  astounding 
blow,  or  rather  had  become  accustomed  to  the 
tremendous  reverse  which  it  produced,  and 
sage  men  sought  to  inquire  and  write  the 
particulars,  it  was  too  late  to  ascertain  them  in 
their  exact  verity.  The  gloom  and  melan 
choly  that  had  overshadowed  the  land  had 
given  birth  to  a  thousand  superstitious  fancies  ; 
the  woes  and  terrors  of  the  past  were  clothed 
with  supernatural  miracles  and  portents,  and 
the  actors  in  the  fearful  drama  had  already 
assumed  the  dubious  characteristics  of  romance. 
Or  if  a  writer  from  among  the  conquerors 
undertook  to  touch  upon  the  theme,  it  was 
embellished  with  all  the  wild  extravagances 
of  an  Oriental  imagination,  which  afterwards 
stole  into  the  graver  works  of  the  monkish 
historians. 

Hence,  the  earliest  chronicles  which  treat  of 
the  downfall  of  Spain  are  apt  to  be  tinctured 
with  those  saintly  miracles  which  savor  of  the 
pious  labors  of  the  cloister,  or  those  fanciful 
fictions  that  betray  their  Arabian  authors. 
Yet  from  these  apocryphal  sources  the  most 
legitimate  and  accredited  Spanish  histories 


pretace 


have  taken  their  rise,  as  pure  rivers  may  be 
traced  up  to  the  fens  and  mantled  pools  of  a 
morass.  It  is  true,  the  authors,  with  cautious 
discrimination,  have  discarded  those  particu 
lars  too  startling  for  belief,  and  have  culled 
only  such  as,  from  their  probability  and  con- 
gruity,  might  be  safely  recorded  as  historical 
facts ;  yet,  scarce  one  of  these  but  has  been 
connected  in  the  original  with  some  romantic 
fiction,  and  even  in  its  divorced  state  bears 
traces  of  its  former  alliance. 

To  discard,  however,  everything  wild  and 
marvellous  in  this  portion  of  Spanish  history, 
is  to  discard  some  of  its  most  beautiful,  in 
structive,  and  national  features  ;  it  is  to  judge 
of  Spain  by  the  standard  of  probability  suited 
to  tamer  and  more  prosaic  countries.  Spain  is 
virtually  a  land  of  poetry  and  romance,  where 
every-day  life  partakes  of  adventure,  and 
where  the  least  agitation  or  excitement  carries 
everything  up  to  extravagant  enterprise  and 
daring  exploit.  The  Spaniards,  in  all  ages, 
have  been  of  swelling  and  braggart  spirit, 
soaring  in  thought,  pompous  in  word,  and 
valiant,  though  vainglorious,  in  deed.  Their 
heroic  aims  have  transcended  the  cooler  con 
ceptions  of  their  neighbors,  and  their  reck 
less  daring  has  borne  them  on  to  achievements 
which  prudent  enterprise  could  never  have 


preface 


accomplished.  Since  the  time,  too,  of  the  con 
quest  and  occupation  of  their  country  by  the 
Arabs,  a  strong  infusion  of  Oriental  magnifi 
cence  has  entered  into  the  national  character, 
and  rendered  the  Spaniard  distinct  from  every 
other  nation  of  Europe. 

In  the  following  pages,  therefore,  the  author 
has  ventured  to  dip  more  deeply  into  the 
enchanted  fountains  of  old  Spanish  chronicle 
than  has  usually  been  done  by  those  who,  in 
modern  times,  have  treated  of  the  eventful 
period  of  the  Conquest;  but  in  so  doing,  he 
trusts  he  will  illustrate  more  fully  the  charac 
ter  of  the  people  and  the  times.  He  has 
thought  proper  to  throw  these  records  into 
the  form  of  legends,  not  claiming  for  them 
the  authenticity  of  sober  history,  yet  giving 
nothing  that  has  not  historical  foundation. 
All  the  facts  herein  contained,  however  ex 
travagant  some  of  them  may  be  deemed,  will 
be  found  in  the  works  of  sage  and  reverend 
chroniclers  of  yore,  growing  side  by  side  with 
long-acknowledged  truths,  and  might  be  sup 
ported  by  learned  and  imposing  references  in 
the  margin. 


Contents*— part  fl* 

LEGEND  OF  THE  SUBJUGATION  OF  SPAIN. 

PAGE 

CHAP.  I. — Consternation  of  Spain — Conduct  of 
the  Conquerors — Missives  between  Taric  and 
Muza  ........  3 

CHAP.  II. — Capture  of  Granada—Subjugation  of 
the  Alpuxarra  Mountains  .  .  .  .10 

CHAP.  III. — Expedition  of  Magued  against  Cor 
dova — Defense  of  the  Patriot  Pelistes  .  .  19 

CHAP.  IV. — Defense  of  the  Convent  of  St.  George 

by  Pelistes 24 

CHAP.  V.— Meeting  between  the  Patriot  Pelistes 

and  the  Traitor  Julian 31 

CHAP.  VI.— How  Taric  el  Tuerto  Captured  the 
City  of  Toledo  through  the  Aid  of  the  Jews, 
and  how  he  Found  the  Famous  Talismanic 
Table  of  Solomon 36 

CHAP.  VII. — Muza  ben  Nosier — His  Entrance  into 

Spain  and  Capture  of  Carmoua        .         .         •     44 


Contents 


PAGE 

CHAP.  VIII. — Muza  Marches  against  the  City  of 
Seville  ........  50 

CHAP.  IX. — Muza  Besieges  the  City  of  Merida    .     53 

CHAP.  X. — Expedition  of  Abdalasis  against  Se 
ville  and  the  "  Land  of  Tadmir "  .  .  63 

CHAP.  XI. — Muza  Arrives  at  Toledo — Interview 

between  him  and  Taric    .         .         .         ...     74 

CHAP.  XII. — Muza  Prosecutes  the  Scheme  of  Con 
quest — Siege  of  Saragossa — Complete  Subju 
gation  of  Spain 80 

CHAP.  XIII. — Feud  between  the  Arab  Generals — 
They  are  Summoned  to  Appear  before  the 
Caliph  at  Damascus — Reception  of  Taric  .  86 

CHAP.  XIV. —  Muza  Arrives  at  Damascus — His 
Interview  with  the  Caliph— The  Table  of 
Solomon — A  Rigorous  Sentence  .  .  93 

CHAP.  XV.— Conduct  of  Abdalasis  as  Emir  of 
Spain 98 

CHAP.  XVI. — Loves  of  Abdalasis  and  Exilona     .  104 

CHAP.  XVII.— Fate  of  Abdalasis  and  Exilona— 

Death  of  Muza no 

LEGEND   OF  COUNT  JULIAN  AND 
HIS  FAMILY. 

Legend  of  Count  Julian  and  his  Family         .        .  117 
Note  to  the  Preceding  Legend       .        .        .        .137 


Contents 


CHRONICLE  OF  FERNAN  GONZALEZ 
COUNT  OF  CASTILE. 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 141 

CHAP.  I. — Installation  of  Fernan  Gonzalez  as 
Count  of  Castile — His  First  Campaign  against 
the  Moors — Victory  of  San  Quirce — How  the 
Count  Disposed  of  the  Spoils  ....  144 

CHAP.  II.— Of  the  Sally  from  Burgos,  and  sur 
prise  of  the  Castle  of  Lara — Capitulation  of 
the  Town — Visit  to  Alfonso  the  Great,  King 
of  Leon 150 

CHAP.  III. — Expedition  against  the  Fortress  of 
Mugnon — Desperate  Defense  of  the  Moors — 
Enterprise  against  Castro  Xeriz  .  .  .  156 

CHAP.  IV.— How  the  Count  of  Castile  and  the 
King  of  Leon  Made  a  Triumphant  Foray  into 
the  Moorish  Country — Capture  of  Salamanca 
— Of  the  Challenge  Brought  by  the  Herald, 
and  of  the  Count's  Defiance  ....  159 

CHAP.  V. — A  Night  Assault  upon  the  Castle  of 
Carazo — The  Moorish  Maiden  who  Betrayed 
the  Garrison 161 

CHAP.  VI.— Death  of  Alfonso,  King  of  Leon— 
The  Moors  Determined  to  Strike  a  Fresh  Blow 
at  the  Count,  who  Summons  all  Castile  to  his 
Standard — Of  his  Hunt  in  the  Forest  while 
Waiting  for  the  Enemy,  and  of  the  Hermit 
that  he  Met  with 166 

CHAP.  VII.  —The  Battle  of  the  Ford  of  Cascajares,  172 
CHAP.  VIII.— Of  the  Message  Sent  by  the  Count 


Contents 


to  Sancho  II.,  King  of  Navarre,  and  the  Reply 

— Their  Encounter  in  Battle  .  .  .  .176 

CHAP.  IX. — How  the  Count  of  Toulouse  Makes  a 
Campaign  against  Castile,  and  how  he  Re 
turns  in  his  Coffin 181 

CHAP.  X. — How  the  Count  Went  to  Receive  the 
Hand  of  a  Princess,  and  was  Thrown  into  a 
Dungeon — Of  the  Stranger  that  Visited  him 
in  his  Chains,  and  of  the  Appeal  that  he  Made 
to  the  Princess  for  his  Deliverance  .  .  186 

CHAP.  XI. — Of  the  Meditations  of  the  Princess, 
and  their  Result — Her  Flight  from  the  Prison 
with  the  Count,  and  the  Perils  of  the  Escape 
— The  Nuptials 191 

CHAP.  XII. — King  Garcia  Confined  in  Burgos  by 
the  Count — The  Princess  Intercedes  for  his 
Release 198 

CHAP.  XIII.— Of  the  Expedition  against  the  An 
cient  City  of  Sylo — The  Unwitting  Trespass 
of  the  Count  into  a  Convent,  and  his  Com 
punction  thereupon  .....  200 

CHAP.  XIV.— Of  the  Moorish  Host  that  Came  up 
from  Cordova,  and  how  the  Count  Repaired  to 
the  Hermitage  of  San  Pedro,  and  Prayed  for 
Success  against  them,  and  Received  Assurance 
of  Victory  in  a  Vision — Battle  of  Hazinas  .  203 

CHAP.  XV. — The  Count  Imprisoned  by  the  King 
of  Leon — The  Countess  Concerts  his  Escape 
— Leon  and  Castile  United  by  the  Marriage  of 
the  Prince  Ordono  with  Urraca,  the  Daughter 
of  the  Count  by  his  First  Wife  .  .  .211 


Contents 


CHAP.  XVI.— Moorish  Incursion  into  Castile — 
Battle  of  San  Estevan — Of  Pascual  Vivas  and 
the  Miracle  that  Befell  him— Death  of  Ordouo 
III 217 

CHAP.  XVII.— King  Sancho  the  Fat— Of  the 
Homage  he  Exacted  from  Count  Fernan 
Gonzalez,  and  of  the  Strange  Bargain  that  he 
Made  with  him  for  the  Purchase  of  his  Horse 
and  Falcon  .......  225 

CHAP.  XVIII. — Further  of  the  Horse  and  Falcon,  230 

CHAP.  XIX.— The  Last  Campaign  of  Count  Fer 
nan — His  Death 234 

CHRONICLE  OF  FERNANDO  THE  SAINT. 

CHAP.  I. — The  Parentage  of  Fernando — Queen 
Berenguela — The  Laras — Don  Alvar  Conceals 
the  Death  of  King  Henry — Mission  of  Queen 
Berenguela  to  Alfonso  IX. — She  Renounces 
the  Crown  of  Castile  in  Favor  of  her  Son 
Fernando  ........  243 

CHAP.  II. — King  Alfonso  of  Leon  Ravages  Castile 

— Captivity  of  Don  Alvar — Death  of  the  Laras  252 

CHAP.  III. — Marriage  of  King  Fernando — Cam 
paign  against  the  Moors — Aben  Mohamed, 
King  of  Baeza,  Declares  himself  the  Vassal 
of  King  Fernando — They  March  to  Jaen — 
Burning  of  the  Tower — Fernando  Commences 
the  Building  of  the  Cathedral  at  Toledo  .  260 

CHAP.    IV. — Assassination  of  Abeii   Mohamed— 


Contents 


His  Head  Carried  as  a  Present  to  Abullale, 
the  Moorish  King  of  Seville — Advance  of  the 
Christians  into  Andalusia  —  Abullale  pur 
chases  a  Truce 266 

CHAP.  V. — Aben  Hud — Abullale  Purchases  An 
other  Year's  Truce — Fernando  Hears  of  the 
Death  of  his  Father,  the  King  of  Leon, 
while  Pressing  the  Siege  of  Jaen — He  Be 
comes  Sovereign  of  the  Two  Kingdoms  of 
Leon  and  Castile  ......  270 

CHAP.  VI. — Expedition  of  the  Prince  Alonso 
against  the  Moors — Encamps  on  the  Banks 
of  the  Guadalete — Aben  Hud  Marches  out 
from  Xerez  and  Gives  Battle — Prowess  of 
Garcia  Perez  de  Vargas  —  fight  and  Pursuit 
of  the  Moors  —  Miracle  of  the  Blessed 
Santiago  ........  274 

CHAP.  VII. — A  Bold  Attempt  upon  Cordova,  the 

Seat  of  Moorish  Power 284 

CHAP.  VIII.— A  Spy  in  the  Christian  Camp- 
Death  of  Aben  Hud— A  Vital  Blow  to  Moslem 
Power  —  Surrender  of  Cordova  to  King 
Fernando 288 

CHAP.  IX. — Marriage  of  King  Fernando  to  the 
Princess  Juana — Famine  at  Cordova — Don 
Alvar  Perez 297 

CHAP.  X.— Aben  Alhamar,  Founder  of  the  Alham- 
bra  —  Fortifies  Granada  and  Makes  it  his 
Capital — Attempts  to  Surprise  the  Castle  of 
Martos— Peril  of  the  Fortress — A  Woman's 


Contents 


Stratagem  to  Save  it  —  Diego  Perez,  the 
Smasher — Death  of  Count  Alvar  Perez  de 
Castro 301 

CHAP.  XI.— Aben  Hudiel,  the  Moorish  King  of 
Murcia,  Becomes  the  Vassal  of  King  Fernando 
— Aben  Alhamar  Seeks  to  Drive  the  Chris 
tians  out  of  Andalusia — Fernando  Takes  the 
Field  against  him— Ravages  of  the  King— 
His  Last  Meeting  with  the  Queen-Mother  .  308 

CHAP.  XII.— King  Fernando's  Expedition  to  An 
dalusia — Siege  01  Jaen — Secret  Departure  of 
Aben  Alhamar  for  the  Christian  Camp — He 
Acknowledges  himself  the  Vassal  of  the  King, 
who  Enters  Jaen  in  Triumph  ....  318 

CHAP.  XIII.— Axataf,  King  of  Seville,  Exas 
perated  at  the  Submission  of  the  King  of 
Granada — Rejects  the  Propositions  of  King 
Fernando  for  a  Truce — The  Latter  is  En 
couraged  by  a  Vision  to  Undertake  the  Con 
quest  of  the  City  of  Seville — Death  of  Queen 
Berenguela — A  Diplomatic  Marriage  .  .  324 

CHAP.  XIV.— Investment  of  Seville— All  Spain 
Aroused  to  Arms — Surrender  of  Alcala  del  Rio 
— The  Fleet  of  Admiral  Ramon  Bonifaz  Ad 
vances  up  the  Guadalquivir — Don  Pelayo 
Correa,  Master  of  Santiago — His  Valorous 
Deeds  aud  the  Miracles  Wrought  in  his 
Behalf 330 

CHAP.    XV. — King  Fernando  Changes  his  Camp 

— Garci  Perez  and  the  Seven  Moors        .         .  338 


Contents 


CHAP.  XVI.— Of  the  Raft  Built  by  the  Moors,  and 
how  it  was  Boarded  by  Admiral  Bonifaz — 
Destruction  of  the  Moorish  Fleet — Succor 
from  Africa  .......  345 

CHAP.  XVII.— Of  the  Stout  Prior  Ferran  Ruyz, 
and  how  he  Rescued  his  Cattle  from  the 
Moors — Further  Enterprises  of  the  Prior,  and 
of  the  Ambuscade  into  which  he  Fell  .  .349 

CHAP.  XVIII.— Bravado  of  the  Three  Cavaliers- 
Ambush  at  the  Bridge  over  the  Guadayra — 
Desperate  Valor  of  Garci  Perez  —  Grand 
Attempt  of  Admiral  Bonifaz  on  the  Bridge  of 
Boats —  Seville  Dismembered  from  Triana  .  354 

CHAP.  XIX. — Investment  of  Triana — Garci  Perez 

and  the  Infanzon       .         .....  364 

CHAP.  XX. — Capitulation  of  Seville — Dispersion 
of  the  Moorish  Inhabitants  —  Triumphant 
Entry  of  King  Fernando  ....  369 

CHAP.  XXI.— Death  of  King  Fernando        .        .  376 


LEGEND 

OF 

THE  SUBJUGATION  OF  SPAIN. 


LEGEND 

OF 

THE   SUBJUGATION   OF  SPAIN.* 
Cbapter  1F* 

Consternation   of  Spain — Conduct  of  the  Conquerors 
— Missives  between  Taric  and  Muza. 

THE  overthrow  of  King  Roderick  and  his 
army  on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalete, 
threw  open  all  southern  Spain  to  the 
inroads   of  the  Moslems.     The  whole 
country  fled  before  them  ;  villages  and  hamlets 
were  hastily  abandoned  ;  the  inhabitants  placed 
their  aged  and  infirm,  their  wives  and  children, 

*  In  this  legend  most  of  the  facts  respecting  the 
Arab  inroads  into  Spain  are  on  the  authority  of  Ara 
bian  writers,  who  had  the  most  accurate  means  of  in 
formation.  Those  relative  to  the  Spaniards  are  chiefly 
from  old  Spanish  chronicles.  It  is  to  be  remarked 

3 


Spanisb 


and  their  most  precious  effects,  on  mules  and 
other  beasts  of  burden,  and  driving  before 
them  their  flocks  and  herds,  made  for  distant 
parts  of  the  land,  for  the  fastnesses  of  the 
mountains,  and  for  such  of  the  cities  as  yet 
possessed  walls  and  bulwarks.  Many  gave 
out,  faint  and  weary,  by  the  way,  and  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy  ;  others,  at  the  distant 
sight  of  a  turban  or  a  Moslem  standard,  or  on 
hearing  the  clangor  of  a  trumpet,  abandoned 
their  flocks  and  herds  and  hastened  their  flight 
with  their  families.  If  their  pursuers  gained 
upon  them,  they  threw  by  their  household 
goods  and  whatever  was  of  burden,  and  thought 
themselves  fortunate  to  escape,  naked  and 
destitute,  to  a  place  of  refuge.  Thus  the  roads 
were  covered  with  scattered  flocks  and  herds, 
and  with  spoil  of  all  kinds. 

The  Arabs,  however,  were  not  guilty  of 
wanton  cruelty  or  ravage  ;  on  the  contrary, 
they  conducted  themselves  with  a  moderation 
but  seldom  witnessed  in  more  civilized  con 
querors.  Taric  el  Tuerto,  though  a  thorough 
man  of  the  sword,  and  one  whose  whole 

that  the  Arab  accounts  have  most  the  air  of  verity, 
and  the  events  as  they  relate  them  are  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  common  life.  The  Spanish  accounts,  on  the 
contrary,  are  full  of  the  marvellous ;  for  there  were 
no  greater  romancers  than  the  monkish  chroniclers. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  5 

thoughts  were  warlike,  yet  evinced  wonderful 
judgment  and  discretion.  He  checked  the 
predatory  habits  of  his  troops  with  a  rigorous 
hand.  They  were  forbidden,  under  pain  of 
severe  punishment,  to  molest  any  peaceable 
and  unfortified  towns,  or  any  unarmed  and  un 
resisting  people,  who  remained  quiet  in  their 
homes.  No  spoil  was  permitted  to  be  made, 
excepting  in  fields  of  battle,  in  camps  of  routed 
foes,  or  in  cities  taken  by  the  sword. 

Taric  had  little  need  to  exercise  his  severity  ; 
his  orders  were  obeyed  through  love,  rather 
than  fear,  for  he  was  the  idol  of  his  soldiery. 
They  admired  his  restless  and  daring  spirit, 
which  nothing  could  dismay.  His  gaunt  and 
sinewy  form,  his  fiery  eye,  his  visage  seamed 
with  scars,  were  suited  to  the  hardihood  of  his 
deeds ;  and  when  mounted  on  his  foaming 
steed,  careering  the  field  of  battle  with  quiver 
ing  lance  or  flashing  scimitar,  his  Arabs  would 
greet  him  with  shouts  of  enthusiasm.  But 
what  endeared  him  to  them  more  than  all  was 
his  soldier-like  contempt  of  gain.  Conquest 
was  his  only  passion  :  glory  the  only  reward 
he  coveted.  As  to  the  spoil  of  the  conquered, 
he  shared  it  freely  among  his  followers,  and 
squandered  his  own  portion  with  open-handed 
generosity. 

While   Taric   was   pushing   his  triumphant 


Spanfsb  papers 


course  through  Andalusia,  tidings  of  his  stu 
pendous  victory  on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalete 
were  carried  to  Muza  ben  Nosier.  Messenger 
after  messenger  arrived,  vying  who  should 
most  extol  the  achievements  of  the  conqueror 
and  the  grandeur  of  the  conquest.  "Taric," 
said  they,  * '  has  overthrown  the  whole  force 
of  the  unbelievers  in  one  mighty  battle.  Their 
king  is  slain  ;  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  their  warriors  are  destroyed  ;  the  whole  land 
lies  at  our  mercy  ;  and  city  after  city  is  sur 
rendering  to  the  victorious  arms  of  Taric." 

The  heart  of  Muza  ben  Nosier  sickened  at 
these  tidings,  and,  instead  of  rejoicing  at  the 
success  of  the  cause  of  Islam,  he  trembled  with 
jealous  fear  lest  the  triumphs  of  Taric  in  Spain 
should  eclipse  his  own  victories  in  Africa.  He 
despatched  missives  to  the  Caliph  Waled  Alman- 
zor,  informing  him  of  these  new  conquests,  but 
taking  the  whole  glory  to  himself,  and  making 
no  mention  of  the  services  of  Taric  ;  or  at  least, 
only  mentioning  him  incidentally  as  a  subordi 
nate  commander.  "The  battles,"  said  he, 
' '  have  been  terrible  as  the  day  of  judgment ;  but 
by  the  aid  of  Allah  we  have  gained  the  victory . ' ' 

He  then  prepared  in  all  haste  to  cross  over 
into  Spain  and  assume  the  command  of  the 
conquering  army  ;  and  he  wrote  a  letter  in  ad 
vance  to  interrupt  Taric  in  the  midst  of  his 


Subjugation  of  Spain  7 

career.  ' '  Wherever  this  letter  may  find  thee, ' ' 
said  he,  "I  charge  thee  halt  with  thy  army 
and  await  my  coming.  Thy  force  is  inadequate 
to  the  subjugation  of  the  land,  and  by  rashly 
venturing,  thou  mayst  lose  everything.  I  will 
be  with  thee  speedily,  with  a  reinforcement  of 
troops  competent  to  so  great  an  enterprise." 

The  letter  overtook  the  veteran  Taric  while 
in  the  full  glow  of  triumphant  success,  having 
overrun  some  of  the  richest  part  of  Andalusia, 
and  just  received  the  surrender  of  the  city  of 
Kcija.  As  he  read  the  letter  the  blood  mantled 
in  his  sunburnt  cheek  and  fire  kindled  in  his 
eye,  for  he  penetrated  the  motives  of  Muza. 
He  suppressed  his  wrath,  however,  and  turn 
ing  with  a  bitter  expression  of  forced  composure 
to  his  captains,  "  Unsaddle  your  steeds,"  said 
he,  "  and  plant  your  lances  in  the  earth  ;  set 
up  your  tents  and  take  your  repose,  for  we 
must  await  the  coining  of  the  Wali  with  a 
mighty  force  to  assist  us  in  our  conquest." 

The  Arab  warriors  broke  forth  with  loud 
murmurs  at  these  words.  "What  need  have 
we  of  aid,"  cried  they,  "when  the  whole  coun 
try  is  flying  before  us  ;  and  what  better  com 
mander  can  we  have  than  Taric  to  lead  us  on 
to  victory?  " 

Count  Julian,  also,  who  was  present,  now 
hastened  to  give  his  traitorous  counsel. 


Spanteb  papers 


"Why  pause,"  cried  he,  "at  this  precious 
moment  ?  The  great  army  of  the  Goths  is  van 
quished,  and  their  nobles  are  slaughtered  or 
dispersed.  Follow  up  your  blow  before  the 
land  can  recover  from  its  panic.  Overrun  the 
provinces,  seize  upon  the  cities,  make  yourself 
master  of  the  capital,  and  your  conquest  is 
complete."* 

The  advice  of  Julian  was  applauded  by  all 
the  Arab  chieftains,  who  were  impatient  of  any 
interruption  in  their  career  of  conquest.  Taric 
was  easily  persuaded  to  what  was  the  wish  of 
his  heart.  Disregarding  the  letter  of  Muza, 
therefore,  he  prepared  to  pursue  his  victories. 
For  this  purpose  he  ordered  a  review  of  his 
troops  on  the  plain  of  Ecija.  Some  were 
mounted  on  steeds  which  they  had  brought 
from  Africa  ;  the  rest  he  supplied  with  horses 
taken  from  the  Christians.  He  repeated  his 
general  orders,  that  they  should  inflict  no  wan 
ton  injury,  nor  plunder  any  place  that  offered 
no  resistance.  They  were  forbidden,  also,  to 
encumber  themselves  with  booty,  or  even  with 
provisions ;  but  were  to  scour  the  country  with 
all  speed,  and  seize  upon  all  its  fortresses  and 
strongholds. 

He  then  divided  his  host  into  three  several 
armies.  One  he  placed  under  the  command  of 
*  Conde,  p.  I,  c.  10. 


Subjugation  of  Spain 


the  Greek  renegado  Magued  el  Rumi,  a  man  of 
desperate  courage  ;  and  sent  it  against  the 
ancient  city  of  Cordova.  Another  was  sent 
against  the  cicy  of  Malaga,  and  was  led  by  Zayd 
ben  Kesadi,  aided  by  the  Bishop  Oppas.  The 
third  was  led  by  Taric  himself,  and  with  this 
he  determined  to  make  a  wide  sweep  through 
the  kingdom.* 

*  Cronica  de  Espana,  de  Alonzo  el  Sabio,  p.  3,  c.  I. 


Cbapter  1F1K 

Capture  of  Granada — Subjugation  of  the  Alpuxarra 
Mountains. 

THE  terror  of  the  arms  of  Taric  ben  Zeyad 
went  before  him ;    and,   at   the   same 
time,  the  report  of  his  lenity  to  those 
who     submitted    without     resistance. 
Wherever  he  appeared,  the  towns,  for  the  most 
part,  sent  forth  some  of  their  principal  inhabit 
ants  to  proffer  a  surrender  ;  for  they  were  des 
titute  of  fortifications,  and  their  fighting  men 
had  perished  in  battle.     They  were  all  received 
into  allegiance  to  the  Caliph,  and  were  pro 
tected  from  pillage  or  molestation. 

After  marching  some  distance  through  the 
country,  he  entered  one  day  a  vast  and  beauti 
ful  plain,  interspersed  with  villages,  adorned 
with  groves  and  gardens,  watered  by  winding 
rivers,  and  surrounded  b}^  lofty  mountains.  It 
was  the  famous  vega,  or  plain  of  Granada,  des 
tined  to  be  for  ages  the  favorite  abode  of  the 
10 


ubjugation  of  Spain  n 

Moslems.  When  the  Arab  conquerors  beheld 
this  delicious  vega,  they  were  lost  in  admira 
tion  ;  for  it  seemed  as  if  the  Prophet  had  given 
them  a  paradise  on  earth,  as  a  reward  for  their 
services  in  his  cause. 

Taric  approached  the  city  of  Granada,  which 
had  a  formidable  aspect,  seated  on  lofty  hills 
and  fortified  with  Gothic  walls  and  towers,  and 
with  the  red  castle  or  citadel,  built  in  times  of 
old  by  the  Phoenicians  or  the  Romans.  As  the 
Arab  chieftain  eyed  the  place,  he  was  pleased 
with  its  stern  warrior  look,  contrasting  with 
the  smiling  beauty  of  its  vega,  and  the  fresh 
ness  and  voluptuous  abundance  of  its  hills  and 
valleys.  He  pitched  his  tents  before  its  walls, 
and  made  preparations  to  attack  it  with  all  his 
force. 

The  city,  however,  bore  but  the  semblance 
of  power.  The  flower  of  its  youth  had  per 
ished  in  the  battle  of  the  Guadalete  ;  many  of 
the  principal  inhabitants  had  fled  to  the  moun 
tains,  and  few  remained  in  the  city  excepting 
old  men,  women,  and  children,  and  a  number 
of  Jews,  which  last  were  well  disposed  to  take 
part  with  the  conquerors.  The  city,  therefore, 
readily  capitulated,  and  was  received  into  vas 
salage  on  favorable  terms.  The  inhabitants 
were  to  retain  their  property,  their  laws,  and 
their  religion  ;  their  churches  and  priests  were 


12  Spanfsb  papers 


to  be  respected  ;  and  no  other  tribute  was  re 
quired  of  them  than  such  as  they  had  been  ac 
customed  to  pay  to  their  Gothic  kings. 

On  taking  possession  of  Granada,  Taric 
garrisoned  the  towers  and  castles,  and  left  as 
alcayde  or  governor  a  chosen  warrior  named 
Betiz  Aben  Habuz,  a  native  of  Arabia  Felix, 
who  had  distinguished  himself  by  his  valor 
and  abilities.  This  alcayde  subsequently  made 
himself  king  of  Granada,  and  built  a  palace  on 
one  of  its  hills  ;  the  remains  of  which  may  be 
seen  at  the  present  day.* 

*  The  house  shown  as  the  ancient  residence  of  Aben 
Habuz  is  called  la  Casa  del  Gallo,  or  the  house  of  the 
weathercock  ;  so  named,  says  Pedraza,  in  his  history 
of  Granada,  from  a  bronze  figure  of  an  Arab  horse 
man,  armed  with  lance  and  buckler,  which  once  sur 
mounted  it,  and  which  varied  with  every  wind.  On 
this  warlike  weathercock  was  inscribed,  in  Arabic 
characters,  — 

"  Dice  el  sabio  Abeu  Habuz 
Que  asi  se  deSeude  el  Andaluz." 

(In  this  way,  says  Aben  Habuz  the  Wise, 
The  Andalusian  his  foe  defies.) 

The  Casa  del  Gallo,  even  until  within  twenty  years, 
possessed  two  great  halls  beautifully  decorated  with 
morisco  reliefs.  It  then  caught  fire  and  was  so  dam 
aged  as  to  require  to  be  nearly  rebuilt.  It  is  now  a 
manufactory  of  coarse  canvas,  and  has  nothing  of  the 
Moorish  character  remaining.  It  commands  a  beauti 
ful  view  of  the  city  and  the  vega. 


tlbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  13 

Even  the  delights  of  Granada  had  no  power 
to  detain  the  active  and  ardent  Taric.  To  the 
east  of  the  city  he  beheld  a  lofty  chain  of 
mountains,  towering  to  the  sky,  and  crowned 
with  shining  snow.  These  were  the  "  Moun 
tains  of  the  Sun  and  Air  "  ;  and  the  perpetual 
snows  on  their  summits  gave  birth  to  streams 
that  fertilized  the  plains.  In  their  bosoms, 
shut  up  among  cliffs  and  precipices,  were  many 
small  valleys  of  great  beauty  and  abundance. 
The  inhabitants  were  a  bold  and  hardy  race, 
who  looked  upon  their  mountains  as  everlast 
ing  fortresses  that  could  never  be  taken.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  country  had 
fled  to  these  natural  fastnesses  for  refuge,  and 
driven  thither  their  flocks  and  herds. 

Taric  felt  that  the  dominion  he  had  acquired 
of  the  plains  would  be  insecure  until  he  had 
penetrated  and  subdued  these  haughty  moun 
tains.  Leaving  Aben  Habuz,  therefore,  in 
command  of  Granada,  he  marched  with  his 
army  across  the  vega,  and  entered  the  folds  of 
the  sierra,  which  stretch  towards  the  south. 
The  inhabitants  fled  with  affright  on  hearing 
the  Moorish  trumpets,  or  beholding  the  ap 
proach  of  the  turbaned  horsemen,  and  plunged 
deeper  into  the  recesses  of  their  mountains. 
As  the  army  advanced,  the  roads  became  more 
and  more  rugged  and  difficult ;  sometimes 


14  Spanteb  papers 


climbing  great  rocky  heights,  and  at  other 
times  descending  abruptly  into  deep  ravines, 
the  beds  of  winter  torrents.  The  mountains 
were  strangely  wild  and  sterile  ;  broken  into 
cliffs  and  precipices  of  variegated  marble.  At 
their  feet  were  little  valleys,  enamelled  with 
groves  and  gardens,  interlaced  with  silver 
streams,  and  studded  with  villages  and  ham 
lets — but  all  deserted  by  their  inhabitants.  No 
one  appeared  to  dispute  the  inroad  of  the  Mos 
lems,  who  continued  their  march  with  increas 
ing  confidence,  their  pennons  fluttering  from 
rock  and  cliff,  and  the  valleys  echoing  to  the 
din  of  trumpet,  drum,  and  cymbal.  At  length 
they  came  to  a  defile  where  the  mountains 
seemed  to  have  been  rent  asunder  to  make  way 
for  a  foaming  torrent.  The  narrow  and  broken 
road  wound  along  the  dizzy  edge  of  precipices, 
until  it  came  to  where  a  bridge  was  thrown 
across  the  chasm.  It  was  a  fearful  and  gloomy 
pass ;  great  beetling  cliffs  overhung  the  road, 
and  the  torrent  roared  below.  This  awful  de 
file  has  ever  been  famous  in  the  warlike  his 
tory  of  those  mountains,  by  the  name,  in  former 
times,  of  the  Barranco  de  Tocos,  and  at  pres 
ent  of  the  Bridge  of  Tablete.  The  Saracen 
army  entered  fearlessly  into  the  pass  ;  a  part 
had  already  crossed  the  bridge,  and  was  slowly 
toiling  up  the  rugged  road  on  the  opposite  side, 


Subjugation  of  Spain  15 


when  great  shouts  arose,  and  every  cliff  ap 
peared  suddenly  peopled  with  furious  foes.  In 
an  instant  a  deluge  of  missiles  of  every  sort 
was  rained  upon  the  astonished  Moslems. 
Darts,  arrows,  javelins,  and  stones,  came  whis 
tling  down,  singling  out  the  most  conspicuous 
cavaliers  ;  and  at  times  great  masses  of  rock, 
bounding  and  thundering  along  the  mountain 
side,  crushed  whole  ranks  at  once,  or  hurled 
horses  and  riders  over  the  edge  of  the  preci 
pices. 

It  was  in  vain  to  attempt  to  brave  this  moun 
tain  warfare.  The  enemy  were  beyond  the 
reach  of  missiles,  and  safe  from  pursuit  ;  and 
the  horses  of  the  Arabs  were  here  an  incum- 
brance  rather  than  an  aid.  The  trumpets 
sounded  a  retreat,  and  the  army  retired  in  tu 
mult  and  confusion,  harassed  by  the  enemy 
until  extricated  from  the  defile.  Taric,  who 
had  beheld  cities  and  castles  surrendering  with 
out  a  blow,  was  enraged  at  being  braved  by  a 
mere  horde  of  mountain  boors,  and  made 
another  attempt  to  penetrate  the  mountains, 
but  was  again  waylaid  and  opposed  with 
horrible  slaughter. 

The  fiery  son  of  Ishmael  foamed  with  rage 
at  being  thus  checked  in  his  career  and  foiled 
in  his  revenge.  He  was  on  the  point  of  aban 
doning  the  attempt,  and  returning  to  the  vega, 


16  Spanisb  papers 


when  a  Christian  boor  sought  his  camp,  and 
was  admitted  to  his  presence.  The  miserable 
wretch  possessed  a  cabin  and  a  little  patch  of 
ground  among  the  mountains,  and  offered,  if 
these  should  be  protected  from  ravage,  to  in 
form  the  Arab  commander  of  a  way  by  which 
troops  of  horse  might  be  safely  introduced  into 
the  bosom  of  the  sierra,  and  the  whole  sub 
dued.  The  name  of  this  caitiff  was  Fandino, 
and  it  deserves  to  be  perpetually  recorded  with 
ignominy.  His  case  is  an  instance  how  much 
it  is  in  the  power,  at  times,  of  the  most  insig 
nificant  being  to  do  mischief,  and  how  all  the 
valor  of  the  magnanimous  and  the  brave  may 
be  defeated  by  the  treason  of  the  selfish  and 
the  despicable. 

Instructed  by  this  traitor,  the  Arab  com 
mander  caused  ten  thousand  foot-soldiers  and 
four  thousand  horsemen,  commanded  by  a  val 
iant  captain,  named  Ibrahim  Albuxarra,  to  be 
conveyed  by  sea  to  the  little  port  of  Adra,  at 
the  Mediterranean  foot  of  the  mountains. 
Here  they  landed,  and,  guided  by  the  traitor, 
penetrated  to  the  heart  of  the  sierra,  laying 
everything  waste.  The  brave  mountaineers, 
thus  hemmed  in  between  two  armies,  destitute 
of  fortresses  and  without  hope  of  succor,  were 
obliged  to  capitulate  ;  but  their  valor  was  not 
without  avail,  for  never,  even  in  Spain,  did 


Subjugation  of  Spain  17 

vanquished  people  surrender  on  prouder  or 
more  honorable  terms.  We  have  named  the 
wretch  who  betrayed  his  native  mountains  ;  let 
us  equally  record  the  name  of  him  whose  pious 
patriotism  saved  them  from  desolation.  It  was 
the  reverend  Bishop  Centerio.  While  the  war 
riors  rested  on  their  arms  in  grim  and  mena 
cing  tranquillity  among  the  cliffs,  this  venerable 
prelate  descended  to  the  Arab  tents  in  the  val 
ley,  to  conduct  the  capitulation.  In  stipulating 
for  the  safety  of  his  people,  he  did  not  forget 
that  they  were  brave  men,  and  that  they  still 
had  weapons  in  their  hands.  He  obtained 
conditions  accordingly.  It  was  agreed  that 
they  should  be  permitted  to  retain  their  houses, 
lands,  and  personal  effects  ;  that  they  should  be 
unmolested  in  their  religion,  and  their  temples 
and  priests  respected  ;  and  that  they  should  pay 
no  other  tribute  than  such  as  they  had  been  ac 
customed  to  render  to  their  kings.  Should  they 
prefer  to  leave  the  country  and  remove  to  any 
part  of  Christendom,  they  were  to  be  allowed 
to  sell  their  possessions,  and  to  take  with  them 
the  money,  and  all  their  other  effects.* 

Ibrahim  Albuxarra  remained  in  command 
of  the  territory,  and  the  whole  sierra,  or  chain 
of  mountains,  took  his  name,  wrhich  has  since 

*  Pedraza,  Hist.  Granad.,  p.  3,  c.  2.  Bleda,  Cron- 
ica,  L.  2,  c.  10. 


Spanisb  papers 


been  slightly  corrupted  into  that  of  the  Alpux- 
arras.  The  subjugation  of  this  rugged  region, 
however,  was  for  a  long  time  incomplete ; 
many  of  the  Christians  maintained  a  wild  and 
hostile  independence,  living  in  green  glens 
and  scanty  valleys  among  the  heights  ;  and  the 
sierra  of  the  Alpuxarras  has  in  all  ages  been 
one  of  the  most  difficult  parts  of  Andalusia  to 
be  subdued. 


Cbapter  III, 

Expedition  of  Magued  against  Cordova — Defense  of 
the  Patriot  Pelistes. 

WHILE  the  veteran  Taric  was  making 
this  wide  circuit  through  the  land, 
the  expedition  under  Magued  the 
renegade  proceeded  against  the  city 
of  Cordova.     The  inhabitants  of  that  ancient 
place  had  beheld  the  great  army  of  Don  Rod 
erick   spreading  like  an  inundation  over  the 
plain  of  the  Guadalquivir,  and  had  felt  confi 
dent  that  it  must  sweep  the  infidel  invaders 
from  the  land.     What  then  was  their  dismay 
when  scattered  fugitives,  wild  with  horror  and 
affright,   brought  them  tidings  of  the  entire 
overthrow  of  that  mighty  host,  and  the  disap 
pearance  of  the  king  !     In  the  midst  of  their 
consternation,  the  Gothic  noble  Pelistes  arrived 
at  their  gates,  haggard  with  fatigue  of  body 
and  anguish  of  mind,  and  leading  a  remnant 
of  his  devoted  cavaliers,  who  had  survived  the 
19 


20  Spanish  papers 


dreadful  battle  of  the  Guadalete.  The  people 
of  Cordova  knew  the  valiant  and  steadfast 
spirit  of  Pelistes,  and  rallied  round  him  as  a 
last  hope.  "Roderick  is  fallen,"  cried  they, 
"  and  we  have  neither  king  nor  captain  ;  be 
unto  us  as  a  sovereign  ;  take  command  of  our 
city,  and  protect  us  in  this  hour  of  peril ! ' ' 

The  heart  of  Pelistes  was  free  from  ambi 
tion,  and  was  too  much  broken  by  grief  to  be 
flattered  by  the  offer  of  command  ;  but  he  felt 
above  everything  for  the  woes  of  his  country, 
and  was  ready  to  assume  any  desperate  service 
in  her  cause.  "  Your  city,"  said  he,  "  is  sur 
rounded  by  walls  and  towers,  and  may  yet 
check  the  progress  of  the  foe.  Promise  to 
stand  by  me  to  the  last,  and  I  will  undertake 
your  defense."  The  inhabitants  all  promised 
implicit  obedience  and  devoted  zeal  ;  for  what 
will  not  the  inhabitants  of  a  wealthy  city 
promise  and  profess  in  a  moment  of  alarm  ? 
The  instant,  however,  that  they  heard  of  the 
approach  of  the  Moslem  troops,  the  wealthier 
citizens  packed  up  their  effects  and  fled  to  the 
mountains,  or  to  the  distant  city  of  Toledo. 
Even  the  monks  collected  the  riches  of  their 
convents  and  churches,  and  fled.  Pelistes, 
though  he  saw  himself  thus  deserted  by  those 
who  had  the  greatest  interest  in  the  safety  of 
the  city,  yet  determined  not  to  abandon  its  de- 


Subjugation  of  Spain  21 


fense.  He  had  still  his  faithful  though  scanty 
band  of  cavaliers,  and  a  number  of  fugitives 
of  the  army,  in  all  amounting  to  about  four 
hundred  men.  He  stationed  guards,  therefore, 
at  the  gates  and  in  the  towers,  and  made  every 
preparation  for  a  desperate  resistance. 

In  the  meantime,  the  army  of  Moslems  and 
apostate  Christians  advanced,  under  the  com 
mand  of  the  Greek  renegado  Magued,  and 
guided  by  the  traitor  Julian.  While  they  were 
yet  at  some  distance  from  the  city,  their  scouts 
brought  to  them  a  shepherd,  whom  they  had 
surprised  on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir. 
The  trembling  hind  was  an  inhabitant  of  Cor 
dova,  and  revealed  to  them  the  state  of  the 
place  and  the  weakness  of  its  garrison. 

"And  the  walls  and  gates,"  said  Magued, 
"  are  they  strong  and  well  guarded?  " 

"  The  walls  are  high  and  of  wondrous 
strength,"  replied  the  shepherd,  "  and  soldiers 
hold  watch  at  the  gates  by  day  and  night. 
But  there  is  one  place  where  the  city  may 
be  secretly  entered.  In  a  part  of  the  wall, 
not  far  from  the  bridge,  the  battlements  are 
broken,  and  there  is  a  breach  at  some  height 
from  the  ground.  Hard  by  stands  a  fig-tree, 
by  the  aid  of  which  the  wall  may  easily  be 
scaled." 

Having  received  this  information,   Magued 


22  Spanisb  papers 


halted  with  his  army,  and  sent  forward  several 
renegado  Christians,  partisans  of  Count  Julian, 
who  entered  Cordova  as  if  flying  before  the 
enemy.  On  a  dark  and  tempestuous  night, 
the  Moslems  approached  to  the  end  of  the 
bridge  which  crosses  the  Guadalquivir,  and 
remained  in  ambush.  Magued  took  a  small 
party  of  chosen  men,  and  guided  by  the  shep 
herd,  forded  the  stream,  and  groped  silently 
along  the  wall  to  the  place  where  stood  the  fig- 
tree.  The  traitors,  who  had  fraudulently  en 
tered  the  city,  were  ready  on  the  wall  to  render 
assistance.  Magued  ordered  his  followers  to 
make  use  of  the  long  folds  of  their  turbans 
instead  of  cords,  and  succeeded  without  diffi 
culty  in  clambering  into  the  breach. 

Drawing  their  scimitars,  they  now  hastened 
to  the  gate  which  opened  towards  the  bridge ; 
the  guards,  suspecting  no  assault  from  within, 
were  taken  by  surprise  and  easily  overpowered  ; 
the  gate  was  thrown  open,  and  the  army  that 
had  remained  in  ambush  rushed  over  the 
bridge,  and  entered  without  opposition. 

The  alarm  had  by  this  time  spread  through 
out  the  city  ;  but  already  a  torrent  of  armed 
men  was  pouring  through  the  streets.  Pelistes 
sallied  forth  with  his  cavaliers  and  such  of  the 
soldiery  as  he  could  collect,  and  endeavored  to 
repel  the  foe ;  but  every  effort  was  in  vain. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  23 


The  Christians  were  slowly  driven  from  street 
to  street  and  square  to  square,  disputing  every 
inch  of  ground  ;  until,  finding  another  body  of 
the  enemy  approaching  to  attack  them  in  rear, 
they  took  refuge  in  a  convent,  and  succeeded  in 
throwing  to  and  barring  the  ponderous  doors. 
The  Moors  attempted  to  force  the  gates,  but 
were  assailed  with  such  showers  of  missiles 
from  the  windows  and  battlements  that  they 
were  obliged  to  retire.  Pelistes  examined  the 
convent,  and  found  it  admirably  calculated  for 
defense.  It  was  of  great  extent,  with  spacious 
courts  and  cloisters.  The  gates  were  massive, 
and  secured  with  bolts  and  bars  ;  the  walls 
were  of  great  thickness  ;  the  windows  high  and 
grated  ;  there  was  a  great  tank  or  cistern  of 
water,  and  the  friars,  who  had  fled  from  the 
city,  had  left  behind  a  good  supply  of  provisions. 
Here,  then,  Pelistes  proposed  to  make  a  stand, 
and  to  endeavor  to  hold  out  until  succor  should 
arrive  from  some  other  city.  His  proposition 
was  received  with  shouts  by  his  loyal  cavaliers, 
not  one  of  whom  but  was  ready  to  lay  down 
his  life  in  the  service  of  his  commander. 


Cbaptet  W. 

Defense  of  tlie  Convent  of  St.  George  by  Pelistes. 

FOR  three  long  and  anxious  months  did 
the  good  knight  Pelistes  and  his  caval 
iers  defend  their  sacred  asylum  against 
the  repeated  assaults  of  the  infidels. 
The  standard  of  the  true  faith  was  constantly 
displayed  from  the  loftiest  tower,  and  a  fire 
blazed  there  throughout  the  night,  as  signals 
of  distress  to  the  surrounding  country.  The 
watchman  from  his  turret  kept  a  wary  lookout 
over  the  land,  hoping  in  every  cloud  of  dust  to 
descry  the  glittering  helms  of  Christian  war 
riors.  The  country,  however,  was  forlorn  and 
abandoned,  or  if  perchance  a  human  being  was 
perceived,  it  was  some  Arab  horseman,  career 
ing  the  plain  of  the  Guadalquivir  as  fearlessly 
as  if  it  were  his  native  desert. 

By  degrees  the   provisions   of  the  convent 
were  consumed,  and  the  cavaliers  had  to  slay 
their  horses,  one  by  one,  for  food.     They  suf- 
24 


Subjugation  of  Spain  25 


fered  the  wasting  miseries  of  famine  without  a 
murmur,  and  always  met  their  commander 
with  a  smile.  Pelistes,  however,  read  their 
sufferings  in  their  wan  and  emaciated  counte 
nances,  and  felt  more  for  them  than  for  himself. 
He  was  grieved  at  heart  that  such  loyalty  and 
valor  should  only  lead  to  slavery  or  death,  and 
resolved  to  make  one  desperate  attempt  for 
their  deliverance.  Assembling  them  one  day 
in  the  court  of  the  convent,  he  disclosed  to 
them  his  purpose. 

"  Comrades  and  brothers  in  arms,"  said  he, 
"it  is  needless  to  conceal  danger  from  brave 
men.  Our  case  is  desperate  ;  our  countrymen 
either  know  not  or  heed  not  our  situation,  or 
have  not  the  means  to  help  us.  There  is  but 
one  chance  of  escape  ;  it  is  full  of  peril,  and,  as 
3rour  leader,  I  claim  the  right  to  brave  it.  To 
morrow,  at  break  of  day,  I  will  sally  forth  and 
make  for  the  city  gates  at  the  moment  of  their 
being  opened  ;  no  one  will  suspect  a  solitary 
horseman  ;  I  shall  be  taken  for  one  of  those 
recreant  Christians  who  have  basely  mingled 
with  the  enemy.  If  I  succeed  in  getting  out 
of  the  city  I  will  hasten  to  Toledo  for  as 
sistance.  In  all  events  I  shall  be  back  in  less 
than  twenty  days.  Keep  a  vigilant  lookout 
toward  the  nearest  mountain.  If  you  behold 
five  lights  blazing  upon  its  summit,  be  assured 


26  Spanteb  papers 


I  am.  at  hand  with  succor,  and  prepare  your 
selves  to  sally  forth  upon  the  city  as  I  attack 
the  gates.  Should  I  fail  in  obtaining  aid,  I 
will  return  to  die  with  you." 

When  he  had  finished,  his  warriors  would 
fain  have  severally  undertaken  the  enterprise, 
and  they  remonstrated  against  his  exposing 
himself  to  such  peril  ;  but  he  was  not  to  be 
shaken  from  his  purpose.  On  the  following 
morning,  ere  the  break  of  day,  his  horse  was 
led  forth,  caparisoned,  into  the  court  of  the 
convent,  and  Pelistes  appeared  in  complete 
armor.  Assembling  his  cavaliers  in  the  chapel, 
he  prayed  with  them  for  some  time  before  the 
altar  of  the  Holy  Virgin.  Then  rising  and 
standing  in  the  midst  of  them,  "  God  knows, 
my  companions, ' '  said  he,  ' '  whether  we  have 
an}''  longer  a  country  ;  if  not,  better  were  we 
in  our  graves.  Loyal  and  true  have  ye  been 
to  me,  and  loyal  have  ye  been  to  my 
son,  even  to  the  hour  of  his  death  ;  and 
grieved  am  I  that  I  have  no  other  means  of 
proving  my  love  for  you,  than  by  adventuring 
my  worthless  life  for  your  deliverance.  All  I 
ask  of  you  before  I  go,  is  a  solemn  promise  to 
defend  yourselves  to  the  last  like  brave  men 
and  Christian  cavaliers,  and  never  to  renounce 
your  faith,  or  throw  yourselves  on  the  mercy 
of  the  renegado  Magued,  or  the  traitor  Julian. ' ' 


Gbe  Subjugation  ot  Spain  27 

They  all  pledged  their  words,  and  took  a  sol  • 
emn  oath  to  the  same  effect  before  the  altar. 

Pelistes  then  embraced  them  one  by  one,  and 
gave  them  his  benediction,  and  as  he  did  so 
his  heart  yearned  over  them,  for  he  felt  to 
wards  them,  not  merely  as  a  companion  in 
arms  and  as  a  commander,  but  as  a  father  ; 
and  he  took  leave  of  them  as  if  he  had  been 
going  to  his  death.  The  warriors,  on  their 
part,  crowded  round  him  in  silence,  kissing 
his  hands  and  the  hem  of  his  surcoat,  and 
many  of  the  sternest  shed  tears. 

The  gray  of  the  dawning  had  j  ust  streaked 
the  east,  when  Pelistes  took  lance  in  hand, 
hung  his  shield  about  his  neck,  and  mounting 
his  steed,  issued  quietly  forth  from  a  postern 
of  the  convent.  He  paced  slowly  through  the 
vacant  streets,  and  the  tramp  of  his  steed 
echoed  afar  in  that  silent  hour  ;  but  no  one 
suspected  a  warrior,  moving  thus  singly  and 
tranquilly  in  an  armed  city,  to  be  an  enemy. 
He  arrived  at  the  gate  just  at  the  hour  of  open 
ing  ;  a  foraging  party  was  entering  with  cattle 
and  with  beasts  of  burden,  and  he  passed  un 
heeded  through  the  throng.  As  soon  as  he 
was  out  of  sight  of  the  soldiers  who  guarded 
the  gate,  he  quickened  his  pace,  and  at  length, 
galloping  at  full  speed,  succeeded  in  gaining 
the  mountains.  Here  he  paused,  and  alighted 


28  Spanisb  papers 


at  a  solitary  farmhouse  to  breathe  his  panting 
steed  ;  but  he  had  scarce  put  foot  to  ground 
when  he  heard  the  distant  sound  of  pursuit, 
and  beheld  a  horseman  spurring  up  the  moun 
tain. 

Throwing  himself  again  upon  his  steed,  he 
abandoned  the  road  and  galloped  across  the 
rugged  heights.  The  deep  dry  channel  of  a 
torrent  checked  his  career,  and  his  horse  stum 
bling  upon  the  margin,  rolled  with  his  rider  to 
the  bottom.  Pelistes  was  sorely  bruised  by 
the  fall,  and  his  whole  visage  was  bathed  in 
blood.  His  horse,  too,  was  maimed  and  un 
able  to  stand,  so  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
escape.  The  enemy  drew  near,  and  proved  to 
be  no  other  than  Magued  the  renegado  general, 
who  had  perceived  him  as  he  issued  forth  from 
the  city  and  had  followed  singly  in  pursuit. 
"Well  met,  sefior  alcaid  !  "  exclaimed  he, 
"  and  overtaken  in  good  time.  Surrender 
3rourself  my  prisoner." 

Pelistes  made  no  other  reply  than  by  draw 
ing  his  sword,  bracing  his  shield,  and  prepar 
ing  for  defense.  Magued,  though  an  apostate, 
and  a  fierce  warrior,  possessed  some  sparks 
of  knightly  magnanimity.  Seeing  his  adver 
sary  dismounted,  he  disdained  to  take  him  at  a 
disadvantage,  but,  alighting,  tied  his  horse  to 
a  tree. 


Gbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  29 

The  conflict  that  ensued  was  desperate  and 
doubtful,  for  seldom  had  two  warriors  met  so 
well  matched  or  of  equal  prowess.  Their 
shields  were  hacked  to  pieces,  the  ground 
was  strewed  with  fragments  of  their  armor, 
and  stained  with  their  blood.  They  paused 
repeatedly  to  take  breath,  regarding  each 
other  with  wonder  and  admiration.  Pelistes, 
however,  had  been  previously  injured  by  his 
fall,  and  fought  to  great  disadvantage.  The 
renegado  perceived  it,  and  sought  not  to  slay 
him,  but  to  take  him  alive.  Shifting  his 
ground  continually,  he  wearied  his  antagonist, 
who  was  growing  weaker  and  weaker  from 
the  loss  of  blood.  At  length  Pelistes  seemed 
to  summon  up  all  his  remaining  strength  to 
make  a  signal  blow  ;  it  was  skilfully  parried, 
and  he  fell  prostrated  upon  the  ground.  The 
renegado  ran  up,  and  putting  his  foot  upon 
his  sword,  and  the  point  of  his  scimitar  to  his 
throat,  called  upon  him  to  ask  his  life  ;  but 
Pelistes  lay  without  sense,  and  as  one  dead. 
Magued  then  unlaced  the  helmet  of  his  van 
quished  enemy,  and  seated  himself  on  a  rock 
beside  him,  to  recover  breath.  In  this  situa 
tion  the  warriors  were  found  by  certain  Moor 
ish  cavaliers,  who  marvelled  much  at  the  traces 
of  that  stern  and  bloody  combat. 

Finding  there  was  yet  life  in  the  Christian 


30  Spanteb  papers 


knight,  they  laid  him  upon  one  of  their  horses, 
and  aiding  Magued  to  remount  his  steed,  pro 
ceeded  slowly  to  the  city.  As  the  convoy 
passed  by  the  convent,  the  cavaliers  looked 
forth  and  beheld  their  commander  borne  along 
bleeding  and  a  captive.  Furious  at  the  sight, 
they  sallied  forth  to  the  rescue,  but  were  re 
pulsed  by  a  superior  force  and  driven  back  to 
the  great  portal  of  the  church.  The  enemy 
entered  pell-mell  with  them,  fighting  from 
aisle  to  aisle,  from  altar  to  altar,  and  in  the 
courts  and  cloisters  of  the  convent.  The 
greater  part  of  the  cavaliers  died  bravely, 
sword  in  hand  ;  the  rest  were  disabled  with 
wounds  and  made  prisoners.  The  convent, 
which  was  lately  their  castle,  was  now  made 
their  prison,  and  in  after-times,  in  commemora 
tion  of  this  event,  was  consecrated  by  the 
name  of  St.  George  of  the  Captives. 


Cbapter  ID* 

Meeting  between  the  Patriot  Pelistes  and  the  Traitor 
Julian. 

THK  loyalty   and   prowess   of  the  good 
knight  Pelistes  had   gained   him  the 
reverence   even   of   his  enemies.     He 
was  for  a  long   time   disabled   by  his 
wounds,  during  which  he  was  kindly  treated 
by  the  Arab  chieftains,  who  strove  by  every 
courteous  means  to  cheer  his  sadness  and  make 
him  forget  that  he  was  a  captive.     When  he 
was  recovered  from  his  wounds  they  gave  him 
a  magnificent  banquet,  to  testify  their  admira 
tion  of  his  virtues. 

Pelistes  appeared  at  the  banquet  clad  in 
sable  armor,  and  with  a  countenance  pale  and 
dejected,  for  the  ills  of  his  country  evermore 
preyed  upon  his  heart.  Among  the  assembled 
guests  was  Count  Julian,  who  held  a  high 
command  in  the  Moslem  army,  and  was  ar 
rayed  in  garments  of  mingled  Christian  and 
31 


32  Spanisb  papers 


morisco  fashion .  Pelistes  had  been  a  close  and 
bosom  friend  of  Julian  in  former  times,  and  had 
served  with  him  in  the  wars  in  Africa,  but 
when  the  count  advanced  to  accost  him  with 
his  wonted  amity,  he  turned  away  in  silence 
and  deigned  not  to  notice  him  ;  neither,  dur 
ing  the  whole  of  the  repast,  did  he  address  to 
him  ever  a  word,  but  treated  him  as  one  un 
known. 

When  the  banquet  was  nearly  at  a  close,  the 
discourse  turned  upon  the  events  of  the  war, 
and  the  Moslem  chieftains,  in  great  courtesy, 
dwelt  upon  the  merits  of  many  of  the  Christian 
cavaliers  who  had  fallen  in  battle,  and  all  ex 
tolled  the  valor  of  those  who  had  recently  per 
ished  in  the  defense  of  the  convent.  Pelistes 
remained  silent  for  a  time,  and  checked  the 
grief  which  swelled  within  his  bosom  as  he 
thought  of  his  devoted  cavaliers.  At  length, 
lifting  up  his  voice,  "  Happy  are  the  dead," 
said  he,  ' '  for  they  rest  in  peace,  and  are  gone  to 
receive  the  reward  of  their  piety  and  valor  !  I 
could  mourn  over  the  loss  of  my  companions 
in  arms,  but  they  have  fallen  with  honor  and 
are  spared  the  wretchedness  I  feel  in  witness 
ing  the  thraldom  of  my  country.  I  have  seen 
my  only  son,  the  pride  and  hope  of  my  age,  cut 
down  at  my  side  ;  I  have  beheld  kindred, 
friends,  and  followers  falling  one  by  one  around 


Subjugation  of  Spain  33 


me,  and  have  become  so  seasoned  to  those 
losses  that  I  have  ceased  to  weep.  Yet  there 
is  one  man  over  whose  loss  I  will  never  cease  to 
grieve.  He  was  the  loved  companion  of  my 
youth,  and  the  steadfast  associate  of  my  graver 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  most  loyal  of  Chris 
tian  knights.  As  a  friend,  he  was  loving  and 
sincere  ;  as  a  warrior,  his  achievements  were 
above  all  praise.  What  has  become  of  him, 
alas,  I  know  not  !  If  fallen  in  battle,  and  I 
knew  where  his  bones  were  laid,  whether 
bleaching  on  the  plains  of  Xeres  or  buried  in 
the  waters  of  the  Guadalete,  I  would  seek  them 
out  and  enshrine  them  as  the  relics  of  a  sainted 
patriot.  Or  if,  like  many  of  his  companions 
in  arms,  he  should  be  driven  to  wander  in 
foreign  lands,  I  would  join  him  in  his  hapless 
exile,  and  we  would  mourn  together  over  the 
desolation  of  our  country  !  " 

Even  the  hearts  of  the  Arab  warriors  were 
touched  by  the  lament  of  the  good  Pelistes,  and 
they  said  :  '  '  Who  was  this  peerless  friend  in 
whose  praise  thou  art  so  fervent  ?  " 

"His  name,"  replied  Pelistes,  "was  Count 
Julian." 

The  Moslem  warriors  started  with  surprise. 
"Noble  cavalier,"  exclaimed  they,  "has  grief 
disordered  thy  senses  ?  Behold  thy  friend  liv 
ing  and  standing  before  thee,  and  yet  thou 


34  Spanlsb  papers 


dost  not  know  him?  This,  this  is  Count 
Julian!" 

Upon  this,  Pelistes  turned  his  eyes  upon  the 
count,  and  regarded  him  for  a  time  with  a  loft}' 
and  stern  demeanor ;  and  the  countenance  of 
Julian  darkened,  and  was  troubled,  and  his 
eye  sank  beneath  the  regard  of  that  loyal  and 
honorable  cavalier.  And  Pelistes  said,  "in 
the  name  of  God,  I  charge  thee,  man  un 
known  !  to  answer.  Dost  thou  presume  to 
call  thyself  Count  Julian  ?  ' ' 

The  count  reddened  with  anger  at  these 
words.  "Pelistes,"  said  he,  "what  means 
this  mockery?  thou  knowest  me  well  ;  thou 
knowest  me  for  Count  Julian." 

"  I  know  thee  for  a  base  impostor  !"  cried 
Pelistes.  "  Count  Julian  was  a  noble  Gothic 
knight ;  but  thou  appearest  in  mongrel  Moor 
ish  garb.  Count  Julian  was  a  Christian,  faith 
ful  and  devout ;  but  I  behold  in  thee  a  renegado 
and  an  infidel.  Count  Julian  was  ever  loyal  to 
his  king,  and  foremost  in  his  country's  cause  ; 
were  he  living,  he  would  be  the  first  to  put 
shield  on  neck  and  lance  in  rest,  to  clear  the 
land  of  her  invaders ;  but  thou  art  a  hoary 
traitor ;  thy  hands  are  stained  with  the  royal 
blood  of  the  Goths,  and  thou  hast  betrayed 
thy  country  and  thy  God.  Therefore,  I  again 
repeat,  man  unknown  !  if  thou  sayest  thou  art 


Subjugation  of  Spain  35 


Count  Julian,  thou  liest  !  My  friend,  alas,  is 
dead  ;  and  thou  art  some  fiend  from  hell,  which 
hast  taken  possession  of  his  body  to  dishonor 
his  memory  and  render  him  an  abhorrence 
among  men  !  "  So  saying,  Pelistes  turned  his 
back  upon  the  traitor,  and  went  forth  from  the 
banquet  ;  leaving  Count  Julian  overwhelmed 
with  confusion,  and  an  object  of  scorn  to  all 
the  Moslem  cavaliers. 


Cbapter  lt)1L 

How  Taric  el  Tuerto  Captured  the  City  of  Toledo 
through  the  Aid  of  the  Jews,  and  how  he  Found  the 
Famous  Talismanic  Table  of  Solomon. 


WHII^K  these  events  were  passing  in 
Cordova,  the  one-eyed  Arab  gen 
eral,  Taric  el  Tuerto,  having  sub 
dued  the  city  and  vega  of  Granada, 
and  the  Mountains  of  the  Sun  and  Air,  directed 
his  march  into  the  interior  of  the  kingdom,  to 
attack  the  ancient  city  of  Toledo,  the  capital 
of  the  Gothic  kings.     So  great  was  the  terror 
caused  by  the  rapid  conquests  of  the  invaders, 
that  at  the  very  rumor  of  their  approach  many 
of  the  inhabitants,   though  thus   in  the  very 
citadel  of  the  kingdom,  abandoned  it  and  fled 
to  the  mountains  with  their  families.     Bnough 
remained,  however,  to  have  made  a  formidable 
defense  ;    and,    as   the   city  was   seated   on   a 
lofty  rock,  surrounded  by  massive  walls  and 
towers,  and  almost  girdled  by  the  Tagus,  it 
36 


Subjugation  of  Spain  37 


threatened  a  long  resistance.  The  Arab  warriors 
pitched  their  tents  in  the  vega,  on  the  borders 
of  the  river,  and  prepared  for  a  tedious  siege. 

One  evening,  as  Taric  was  seated  in  his 
tent,  meditating  on  the  mode  in  which  he 
should  assail  this  rock-built  city,  certain  of 
the  patrols  of  the  camp  brought  a  stranger  be 
fore  him.  "As  we  were  going  our  rounds," 
said  they,  "  we  beheld  this  man  lowered  down 
with  cords  from  a  tower,  and  he  delivered  him 
self  into  our  hands,  praying  to  be  conducted  to 
thy  presence,  that  he  might  reveal  to  thee 
certain  things  important  for  thee  to  know." 

Taric  fixed  his  eye  upon  the  stranger  ;  he 
was  a  Jewish  rabbi,  with  a  long  beard  which 
spread  upon  his  gabardine,  and  descended 
even  to  his  girdle.  "What  hast  thou  to  re 
veal  ?  '  '  said  he  to  the  Israelite.  '  '  What  I 
have  to  reveal,"  replied  the  other,  "  is  for  thee 
alone  to  hear  ;  command,  then,  I  entreat  thee, 
that  these  men  withdraw."  When  they  were 
alone  he  addressed  Taric  in  Arabic  :  "Know, 

0  leader  of  the  host  of  Islam,"  said  he,  "  that 

1  am  sent  to  thee  on  the  part  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  resident  in  Toledo.     We  have  been 
oppressed  and  insulted  by  the  Christians  in  the 
time  of  their  prosperity,   and  now  that  they 
are   threatened   with   siege,   they  have   taken 
from  us  all   our  provisions  and  our  money  ; 


38  Spanfsb  papers 


they  have  compelled  us  to  work  like  slaves, 
repairing  their  walls  ;  and  they  oblige  us  to 
bear  arms  and  guard  a  part  of  the  towers. 
We  abhor  their  yoke,  and  are  ready,  if  thou 
wilt  receive  us  as  subjects,  and  permit  us  the 
free  enjoyment  of  our  religion  and  our  property, 
to  deliver  the  towers  we  guard  into  thy  hands, 
and  to  give  thee  safe  entrance  into  the  city." 

The  Arab  chief  was  overjoyed  at  this  propo 
sition,  and  he  rendered  much  honor  to  the 
rabbi,  and  gave  orders  to  clothe  him  in  a  costly 
robe,  and  to  perfume  his  beard  with  essences 
of  a  pleasant  odor,  so  that  he  was  the  most 
sweet-smelling  of  his  tribe  ;  and  he  said : 
1 '  Make  thy  words  good,  and  put  me  in  posses 
sion  of  the  city,  and  I  will  do  all  and  more 
than  thou  hast  required,  and  will  bestow  count 
less  wealth  upon  thee  and  thy  brethren." 

Then  a  plan  was  devised  between  them  by 
which  the  city  was  to  be  betrayed  and  given 
up.  "But  how  shall  I  be  secured,"  said  he, 
' '  that  all  thy  tribe  will  fulfil  what  thou  hast 
engaged,  and  that  this  is  not  a  stratagem  to 
get  me  and  my  people  into  your  power  ?  ' ' 

"This  shall  be  thy  assurance,"  replied  the 
rabbi ;  ' '  ten  of  the  principal  Israelites  will 
come  to  this  tent  and  remain  as  hostages. ' ' 

"It  is  enough,"  said  Taric ;  and  he  made 
oath  to  accomplish  all  that  he  had  promised ; 


Gbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  39 

and  the  Jewish  hostages  came  and  delivered 
themselves  into  his  hands. 

On  a  dark  night  a  chosen  band  of  Moslem 
warriors  approached  the  part  of  the  walls 
guarded  by  the  Jews,  and  were  secretly  ad 
mitted  into  a  postern  gate  and  concealed 
within  a  tower.  Three  thousand  Arabs  were 
at  the  same  time  placed  in  ambush  among 
rocks  and  thickets,  in  a  place  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  commanding  a  view  of  the 
city.  On  the  following  morning  Taric  ravaged 
the  gardens  of  the  valley,  and  set  fire  to  the 
farmhouses,  and  then,  breaking  up  his  camp, 
marched  off  as  if  abandoning  the  siege. 

The  people  of  Toledo  gazed  with  astonish 
ment  from  their  walls  at  the  retiring  squadrons 
of  the  enemy,  and  scarcely  could  credit  their 
unexpected  deliverance ;  before  night  there 
was  not  a  turban  nor  a  hostile  lance  to  be  seen 
in  the  vega.  They  attributed  it  all  to  the 
special  intervention  of  their  patron  saint,  Leo- 
cadia ;  and  the  following  day  being  Palm 
Sunday,  they  sallied  forth  in  procession,  mar, 
woman,  and  child,  to  the  church  of  that  blessed 
saint,  which  is  situated  without  the  walls,  that 
they  might  return  thanks  for  her  marvellous 
protection. 

When  all  Toledo  had  thus  poured  itself 
forth,  and  was  marching  with  cross  and  relic 


40  Spanish  papers 


and  solemn  chant  towards  the  chapel,  the 
Arabs  who  had  been  concealed  in  the  tower 
rushed  forth,  and  barred  the  gates  of  the  city. 
While  some  guarded  the  gates,  others  dispersed 
themselves  about  the  streets,  slaying  all  who 
made  resistance  ;  and  others  kindled  a  fire  and 
made  a  column  of  smoke  on  the  top  of  the 
citadel.  At  sight  of  this  signal,  the  Arabs  in 
ambush  beyond  the  river  rose  with  a  great 
shout,  and  attacked  the  multitude  who  were 
thronging  to  the  church  of  St.  L/eocadia. 
There  was  a  great  massacre,  although  the  peo 
ple  were  without  arms  and  made  no  resistance; 
and  it  is  said  in  ancient  chronicles  that  it  was 
the  apostate  Bishop  Oppas  who  guided  the 
Moslems  to  their  prey,  and  incited  them  to 
this  slaughter.  The  pious  reader,  says  Fray 
Antonio  Agapida,  will  be  slow  to  believe  such 
turpitude  ;  but  there  is  nothing  more  venomous 
than  the  rancor  of  an  apostate  priest  ;  for  the 
best  things  in  this  world,  when  corrupted,  be 
come  the  worst  and  most  baneful. 

Many  of  the  Christians  had  taken  refuge 
within  the  church,  and  had  barred  the  doors, 
but  Oppas  commanded  that  fire  should  be  set 
to  the  portals,  threatening  to  put  every  one 
within  to  the  swrord.  Happily  the  veteran 
Taric  arrived  just  in  time  to  stay  the  fury  of 
this  reverend  renegade.  He  ordered  the  trum- 


Cbc  Subjugation  ot  Spain  41 

pets  to  call  off  the  troops  from  the  carnage, 
and  extended  grace  to  all  the  surviving  inhab 
itants.  They  were  permitted  to  remain  in 
quiet  possession  of  their  homes  and  effects, 
paying  only  a  moderate  tribute  ;  and  they 
were  allowed  to  exercise  the  rights  of  their 
religion  in  the  existing  churches,  to  the  num 
ber  of  seven,  but  were  prohibited  from  erecting 
any  others.  Those  who  preferred  to  leave  the 
city  were  suffered  to  depart  in  safety,  but  not 
to  take  with  them  any  of  their  wealth. 

Immense  spoil  was  found  by  Taric  in  the 
alcazar,  or  royal  castle,  situated  on  a  rocky 
eminence  in  the  highest  part  of  the  city. 
Among  the  regalia  treasured  up  in  a  secret 
chamber  were  twenty -five  regal  crowns  of  fine 
gold,  garnished  with  jacinths,  amethysts,  dia 
monds,  and  other  precious  stones.  These 
were  the  crowns  of  the  different  Gothic  kings 
who  had  reigned  in  Spain  ;  it  having  been  the 
usage  on  the  death  of  each  king  to  deposit  his 
crown  in  this  treasury,  inscribing  on  it  his 
name  and  age.* 

When  Taric  was  thus  in  possession  of  the 
city,  the  Jews  came  to  him  in  procession,  with 
songs  and  dances,  and  the  sound  of  timbrel 
and  psaltery,  hailing  him  as  their  lord,  and  re 
minding  him  of  his  promises. 

*  Conde,  Hist,  de  las  Arabes  en  Espana,  c.  12. 


42  Spanisb  papers 


The  son  of  Ishmael  kept  his  word  with  the 
children  of  Israel  ;  they  were  protected  in  the 
possession  of  all  their  wealth  and  the  exercise 
of  their  religion,  and  were,  moreover,  rewarded 
with  jewels  of  gold  and  jewels  of  silver  and 
much  moneys.* 

A  subsequent  expedition  was  led  by  Taric 
against  Guadalaxara,  which  surrendered  with 
out  resistance  ;  he  moreover  captured  the  city 
of  Medina  Celi,  where  he  found  an  inestimable 
table  which  had  formed  a  part  of  the  spoil 
taken  at  Rome  by  Alaric,  at  the  time  that  the 
sacred  city  was  conquered  by  the  Goths.  It 
was  composed  of  one  single  and  entire  emerald, 
and  possessed  talismanic  powers  ;  for  traditions 
affirm  that  it  was  the  work  of  genii,  and  had 
been  wrought  by  them  for  King  Solomon  the 
Wise,  the  son  of  David.  This  marvellous  relic 
was  carefully  preserved  by  Taric,  as  the  most 
precious  of  all  his  spoils,  being  intended  by 
him  as  a  present  to  the  caliph  ;  and  in  com 
memoration  of  it  the  city  was  called  by  the 
Arabs  Medina  Almeyda, — that  is  to  say,  "  The 
City  of  the  Table."  f 

*  The  stratagem  of  the  Jews  of  Toledo  is  recorded 
briefly  by  Bishop  Lucas  de  Tuy,  in  his  chronicle,  but 
is  related  at  large  in  the  chronicle  of  the  Moor  Rasis. 

t  According  to  Arabian  legends,  this  table  was  a 
mirror  revealing  all  great  events ;  insomuch  that  by 


Gbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  43 

Having  made  these  and  other  conquests  of 
3ess  importance,  and  having  collected  great 
quantities  of  gold  and  silver,  and  rich  stuffs 
and  precious  stones,  Taric  returned  with  his 
booty  to  the  royal  city  of  Toledo. 

looking  on  it  the  possessor  might  behold  battles  and 
sieges  and  feats  of  chivalry,  and  all  actions  worthy  of 
renown  ;  and  might  thus  ascertain  the  truth  of  all 
historic  transactions.  It  was  a  mirror  of  history 
therefore ;  and  had  very  probably  aided  King  Solo 
mon  in  acquiring  that  prodigious  knowledge  and 
wisdom  for  which  he  was  renowned. 


adapter  OT1T* 

Muza  ben  Nosier — His  Bntrance  into  Spain  and 
Capture  of  Carmona. 

LKT  us  leave  for  a  season  the  bold  Taric 
in  his  triumphant  progress  from  city  to 
city,  while  we  turn  our  eyes  to  Muza 
ben  Nosier,  the  renowned  emir  of  Al- 
magreb,  and  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
Moslem  forces  of  the  West.  When  that  jealous 
chieftain  had  despatched  his  letter  command 
ing  Taric  to  pause  and  await  his  coming,  he 
immediately  made  every  preparation  to  enter 
Spain  with  a  powerful  reinforcement,  and  to 
take  command  of  the  conquering  army.  He 
left  his  eldest  son,  Abdalasis,  in  Caervan,  with 
authority  over  Almagreb,  or  Western  Africa. 
This  Abdalasis  was  in  the  flower  of  his  youth, 
and  beloved  by  the  soldiery  for  the  magna 
nimity  and  the  engaging  affability  which 
graced  his  courage. 

Muza  ben  Nosier  crossed  the  Strait  of  Her- 
44 


tTbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  45 

cules  with  a  chosen  force  of  ten  thousand  hor.se 
and  eight  thousand  foot,  Arabs  and  Africans. 
He  was  accompanied  by  his  two  sons,  Meruan 
and  Abdelola,  and  by  numerous  illustrious 
Arabian  cavaliers  of  the  tribe  of  the  Koreish. 
He  landed  his  shining  legions  on  the  coast  of 
Andalusia,  and  pitched  his  tents  near  to  the 
Guadiana.  There  first  he  received  intelligence 
of  the  disobedience  of  Taric  to  his  orders,  and 
that,  without  waiting  his  arrival,  the  impetu 
ous  chieftain  had  continued  his  career,  and 
with  his  light  Arab  squadrons  had  overrun  and 
subdued  the  noblest  provinces  and  cities  of  the 
kingdom. 

The  jealous  spirit  of  Muza  was  still  more 
exasperated  by  these  tidings  ;  he  looked  upon 
Taric  no  longer  as  a  friend  and  coadj  utor,  but 
as  an  invidious  rival,  the  decided  enemy  of  his 
glory,  and  he  determined  on  his  ruin.  His 
first  consideration,  however,  was  to  secure  to 
himself  a  share  in  the  actual  conquest  of  the 
land  before  it  should  be  entirely  subjugated. 

Taking  guides,  therefore,  from  among  his 
Christian  captives,  he  set  out  to  subdue  such 
parts  of  the  country  as  had  not  been  visited 
by  Taric.  The  first  place  which  he  assailed 
was  the  ancient  city  of  Carmona  ;  it  was  not  of 
great  magnitude,  but  was  fortified  with  high 
Avails  and  massive  towers,  and  many  of  the 


46  Spanteb  papers 


fugitives  of  the  late  army  had  thrown  them 
selves  into  it. 

The  Goths  had  by  this  time  recovered  from 
their  first  panic  ;  they  had  become  accustomed 
to  the  sight  of  Moslem  troops,  and  their  na 
tive  courage  had  been  roused  by  danger. 
Shortly  after  the  Arabs  had  encamped  before 
their  walls,  a  band  of  cavaliers  made  a  sudden 
sally  one  morning  before  the  break  of  day,  fell 
upon  the  enemy  by  surprise,  killed  above 
three  hundred  of  them  in  their  tents,  and 
effected  their  retreat  into  the  city  ;  leaving 
twenty  of  their  number  dead,  covered  with 
honorable  wounds,  and  in  the  very  centre  of 
the  camp. 

On  the  following  day  they  made  another 
sally,  and  fell  on  a  different  quarter  of  the  en 
campment  ;  but  the  Arabs  were  on  their  guard, 
and  met  them  with  superior  numbers.  After 
fighting  fiercely  for  a  time,  they  were  routed, 
and  fled  full  speed  for  the  city,  with  the  Arabs 
hard  upon  their  traces.  The  guards  within 
feared  to  open  the  gate,  lest  with  their  friends 
they  should  admit  a  torrent  of  enemies.  See 
ing  themselves  thus  shut  out,  the  fugitives 
determined  to  die  like  brave  soldiers  rather 
than  surrender.  Wheeling  suddenly  round, 
they  opened  a  path  through  the  host  of  their 
pursuers,  fought  their  way  back  to  the  camp, 


ubjugation  of  Spain  47 


and  raged  about  it  with  desperate  fury  until 
they  were  all  slain,  after  having  killed  above 
eight  hundred  of  the  enemy.* 

Muza  now  ordered  that  the  place  should  be 
taken  by  storm.  The  Moslems  assailed  it  on 
all  sides,  but  were  vigorously  resisted  ;  many 
were  slain  by  showers  of  stones,  arrows,  and 
boiling  pitch,  and  many  who  had  mounted 
with  scaling-ladders  were  thrown  headlong 
from  the  battlements.  The  alcayde,  Galo, 
aided  solely  by  two  men,  defended  a  tower  and 
a  portion  of  the  wall,  killing  and  wounding 
with  a  cross-bow  more  than  eighty  of  the 
enemy.  The  attack  lasted  above  half  a  day, 
when  the  Moslems  were  repulsed  with  the  loss 
of  fifteen  hundred  men. 

Muza  was  astonished  and  exasperated  at 
meeting  with  such  formidable  resistance  from 
so  small  a  city  ;  for  it  was  one  of  the  few  places, 
during  that  memorable  conquest,  where  the 
Gothic  valor  shone  forth  with  its  proper  lus 
tre.  While  the  Moslem  army  lay  encamped 
before  the  place,  it  was  joined  by  Magued  the 
renegado,  and  Count  Julian  the  traitor,  with 
one  thousand  horsemen  ;  most  of  them  recreant 
Christians,  base  betrayers  of  their  country,  and 
more  savage  in  their  warfare  than  the  Arabs 
of  the  desert.  To  find  favor  in  the  eyes  of 
*  Abulcasitu,  Perdida  de  Espana,  1.  I,  c.  13. 


48  Spanfsb  papers 


Muza,  and  to  evince  his  devotion  to  the  cause, 
the  count  undertook,  by  wily  stratagem,  to 
put  this  gallant  city  in  his  power. 

One  evening,  just  at  twilight,  a  number  of 
Christians,  habited  as  travelling  merchants, 
arrived  at  one  of  the  gates,  conducting  a  train 
of  mules  laden  with  arms  and  warlike  muni 
tions.  "  Open  the  gate  quickly,"  cried  they  ; 
"we  bring  supplies  for  the  garrison,  but  the 
Arabs  have  discovered  and  are  in  pursuit  of 
us."  The  gate  was  thrown  open,  the  merchants 
entered  with  their  beasts  of  burden,  and 
were  joyfully  received.  Meat  and  drink  were 
placed  before  them,  and  after  they  had  re 
freshed  themselves  they  retired  to  the  quarters 
allotted  to  them. 

These  pretended  merchants  were  Count 
Julian  and  a  number  of  his  partisans.  At 
the  hour  of  midnight  they  stole  forth  silently, 
and  assembling  together,  proceeded  to  what  is 
called  the  Gate  of  Cordova.  Here  setting 
suddenly  upon  the  unsuspecting  guards,  they 
put  them  to  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  throw 
ing  open  the  gates,  admitted  a  great  body  of 
the  Arabs.  The  inhabitants  were  roused  from 
their  sleep  by  sound  of  drum  and  trumpet  and 
the  clattering  of  horses.  The  Arabs  scoured  the 
streets  ;  a  horrible  massacre  was  commenced, 
in  which  none  were  spared  but  such  of  the  fe- 


Subjugation  ot  Spain 


49 


males  as  were  young  and  beautiful,  and  fitted 
to  grace  the  harems  of  the  conquerors.  The 
arrival  of  Muza  put  an  end  to  the  pillage  and 
the  slaughter,  and  he  granted  favorable  terms 
to  the  survivors.  Thus  the  valiant  little  city 
of  Carmona,  after  nobly  resisting  the  open 
assaults  of  the  infidels,  fell  a  victim  to  the 
treachery  of  apostate  Christians.* 

*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana,  por  Alonzo  el  Sabio,  p.  3, 
c.  i. 

4 


Cbapter  D1T1F1L 

Muza  Marches  against  the  City  of  Seville. 

AFTER  the   capture  of  Carmona,  Muza 
descended  into  a  noble  plain,  covered 
with  fields  of  grain,  with  orchards  and 
gardens,  through  which  glided  the  soft- 
flowing  Guadalquivir.     On  the  borders  of  the 
river  stood   the  ancient  cit)r  of  Seville,   sur 
rounded  by  Roman  walls,  and  defended  by  its 
golden  tower.     Understanding  from  his  spies 
that  the  city  had  lost  the  flower  of  its  youth  in 
the  battle  of  the  Guadalete,  Muza  anticipated 
but  a  faint  resistance.     A  considerable  force, 
however,  still  remained  within  the  place,  and 
what  they  wanted  in  numbers  they  made  up 
in  resolution.     For  some  days  they  withstood 
the  assaults  of  the  enemy,  and  defended  their 
walls  with  great  courage.    Their  want  of  war 
like  munitions,  however,  and  the  superior  force 
and  skill  of  the  besieging  army,  left  them  no 
hope  of  being  able  to  hold  out  long.    There 
50 


Subjugation  of  Spain  51 


were  two  youthful  cavaliers  of  uncommon  valor 
in  the  city.  They  assembled  the  warriors  and 
addressed  them.  "We  cannot  save  the  city," 
said  they  ;  '  '  but  at  least,  we  may  save  our 
selves,  and  preserve  so  many  strong  arms  for 
the  service  of  our  country.  L,et  us  cut  our 
way  through  the  infidel  force,  and  gain  some 
secure  fortress,  from  whence  we  may  return 
with  augmented  numbers  for  the  rescue  of  the 
city." 

The  advice  of  the  young  cavaliers  was 
adopted.  In  the  dead  of  the  night  the  garri 
son  assembled,  to  the  number  of  about  three 
thousand,  —  the  most  part  mounted  on  horse 
back.  Suddenly  sallying  from  one  of  the  gates, 
they  rushed  in  a  compact  body  upon  the  camp 
of  the  Saracens,  which  was  negligently  guar 
ded,  for  the  Moslems  expected  no  such  act 
of  desperation.  The  camp  was  a  scene  of  great 
carnage  and  confusion  ;  many  were  slain  on 
both  sides  ;  the  two  valiant  leaders  of  the 
Christians  fell  covered  with  wounds,  but  the 
main  body  succeeded  in  forcing  their  way 
through  the  centre  of  the  army,  and  in  mak 
ing  their  retreat  to  Beja  in  I^usitania. 

Muza  was  at  a  loss  to  know  the  meaning  of 
this  desperate  sally.  In  the  morning  he  per 
ceived  the  gates  of  the  city  wide  open.  A 
number  of  ancient  and  venerable  men  pre- 


52  Spanteb  papers 


sented  themselves  at  his  tent,  offering  submis 
sion  and  imploring  mercy,  for  none  were  left  in 
the  place  but  the  old,  the  infirm,  and  the  miser 
able.  Muza  listened  to  them  with  compassion, 
and  granted  their  prayer,  and  the  only  tribute  he 
exacted  was  three  measures  of  wheat  and  three 
of  barley  from  each  house  or  family.  He  placed 
a  garrison  of  Arabs  in  the  city,  and  left  there 
a  number  of  Jews  to  form  a  body  of  population. 
Having  thus  secured  two  important  places  in 
Andalusia,  he  passed  the  boundaries  of  the 
province,  and  advanced  with  great  martial 
pomp  into  I^usitania. 


Cbaptet  1f£ , 

Muza  Besieges  the  City  of  Merida. 

THE  army  of  Muza  was  now  augmented 
to  about  eighteen  thousand  horsemen, 
but  he  took  with  him  but  few  foot-sol 
diers,    leaving   them   to   garrison   the 
conquered  towns.     He  met  with  no  resistance 
on  his  entrance  into  Lusitania.     City  after  city 
laid  its  keys  at  his  feet,  and  implored  to  be  re 
ceived  in  peaceful  vassalage.     One  city  alone 
prepared  for  vigorous  defense,  the  ancient  Me 
rida,    a    place    of    great     extent,    uncounted 
riches,    and    prodigious    strength.     A    noble 
Goth  named  Sacarus  was  the    governor, — a 
man  of  consummate  wisdom,  patriotism  and 
valor.     Hearing  of  the  approach  of  the  inva 
ders,  he  gathered  within  the  walls  all  the  peo 
ple  of  the  surrounding    country,   with  their 
horses  and  mules,  their  flocks  and  herds,  and 
most  precious  effects.     To  insure  for  a  long 
time  a  supply  of  bread,  he  filled  the  magazines 
53 


54  Spanisb  papers 


with  grain,  and  erected  wind-mills  on  the 
churches.  This  done,  he  laid  waste  the  sur 
rounding  country  to  a  great  extent,  so  that  a 
besieging  army  would  have  to  encamp  in  a 
desert. 

When  Muza  came  in  sight  of  this  magnifi 
cent  city  he  was  struck  with  admiration.  He 
remained  for  some  time  gazing  in  silence  upon 
its  mighty  walls  and  lordly  towers,  its  vast 
extent,  and  the  stately  palaces  and  temples 
with  which  it  was  adorned.  "Surely,"  cried 
he,  at  length,  "  all  the  people  of  the  earth 
have  combined  their  power  and  skill  to  embel 
lish  and  aggrandize  this  city.  Allah  Achbar  ! 
Happy  will  he  be  who  shall  have  the  glory  of 
making  such  a  conquest ! ' ' 

Seeing  that  a  place  so  populous  and  so 
strongly  fortified  would  be  likely  to  maintain 
a  long  and  formidable  resistance,  he  sent  mes 
sengers  to  Africa  to  his  son  Abdalasis,  to  col 
lect  all  the  forces  that  could  be  spared  from 
the  garrisons  of  Mauritania,  and  to  hasten  and 
reinforce  him. 

While  Muza  was  forming  his  encampment, 
deserters  from  the  city  brought  him  word  that 
a  chosen  band  intended  to  sally  forth  at  mid 
night  and  surprise  his  camp.  The  Arab  com 
mander  immediately  took  measures  to  receive 
them  with  a  counter-surprise.  Having  formed 


Subjugation  of  Spain  55 


his  plan,  and  communicated  it  to  his  principal 
officers,  he  ordered  that,  throughout  the  day, 
there  should  be  kept  up  an  appearance  of  negli 
gent  confusion  in  his  encampment.  The  out 
posts  were  feebly  guarded  ;  fires  were  lighted 
in  various  places,  as  if  preparing  for  feasting  ; 
bursts  of  music  and  shouts  of  revelry  resounded 
from  different  quarters,  and  the  whole  camp 
seemed  to  be  rioting  in  careless  security  on  the 
plunder  of  the  land.  As  the  night  advanced, 
the  fires  were  gradually  extinguished,  and  si 
lence  ensued,  as  if  the  soldiery  had  sunk  into 
deep  sleep  after  the  carousal. 

In  the  meantime,  bodies  of  troops  had  been 
secretly  and  silently  marched  to  reinforce  the 
outposts  ;  and  the  renegado  Magued,  with  a 
numerous  force,  had  formed  an  ambuscade  in 
a  deep  stone  quarry  by  which  the  Christians 
would  have  to  pass.  These  preparations  being 
made,  they  awaited  the  approach  of  the  enemy 
in  breathless  silence. 

About  midnight  the  chosen  force  intended 
for  the  sally  assembled,  and  the  command  was 
confided  to  Count  Tendero,  a  Gothic  cavalier 
of  tried  prowess.  After  having  heard  a  solemn 
mass  and  received  the  benediction  of  the  priest, 
they  inarched  out  of  the  gate  with  all  possible 
silence.  They  were  suffered  to  pass  the  am 
buscade  in  the  quarry  without  molestation  ;  as 


56  Spanisb  papers 


they  approached  the  Moslem  camp  everything 
appeared  quiet,  for  the  foot-soldiers  were  con 
cealed  in  slopes  and  hollows,  and  every  Arab 
horseman  lay  in  his  armor  beside  his  steed. 
The  sentinels  on  the  outposts  waited  until  the 
Christians  were  close  at  hand,  and  then  fled  in 
apparent  consternation. 

Count  Tendero  gave  the  signal  for  assault, 
and  the  Christians  rushed  confidently  forward. 
In  an  instant  an  uproar  of  drums,  trumpets, 
and  shrill  war-cries  burst  forth  from  every 
side.  An  army  seemed  to  spring  up  from  the 
earth ;  squadrons  of  horse  came  thundering 
on  them  in  front,  while  the  quarry  poured  forth 
legions  of  armed  warriors  in  their  rear. 

The  noise  of  the  terrific  conflict  that  took 
place  was  heard  on  the  city  walls,  and  an 
swered  by  shouts  of  exultation,  for  the  Chris 
tians  thought  it  rose  from  the  terror  and 
confusion  of  the  Arab  camp.  In  a  little  while, 
however,  they  were  undeceived  by  fugitives 
from  the  fight,  aghast  with  terror  and  covered 
with  wounds.  "  Hell  itself,"  cried  they,  "  is 
on  the  side  of  these  infidels  ;  the  earth  casts 
forth  warriors  and  steeds  to  aid  them.  We 
have  fought,  not  with  men,  but  devils  !  " 

The  greater  part  of  the  chosen  troops  who 
had  sallied  were  cut  to  pieces  in  that  scene  of 
massacre,  for  they  had  been  confounded  by  the 


ttbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  57 

tempest  of  battle  which  suddenly  broke  forth 
around  them.  Count  Tendero  fought  with 
desperate  valor,  and  fell  covered  with  wounds. 
His  body  was  found  the  next  morning,  lying 
among  the  slain,  and  transpierced  with  half  a 
score  of  lances.  The  renegado  Magued  cut 
off  his  head  and  tied  it  to  the  tail  of  his  horse, 
and  repaired  with  this  savage  trophy  to  the 
tent  of  Muza ;  but  the  hostility  of  the  Arab 
general  was  of  a  less  malignant  kind.  He 
ordered  that  the  head  and  body  should  be 
placed  together  upon  a  bier,  and  treated  with 
becoming  reverence. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  a  train  of  priests 
and  friars  came  forth  from  the  city  to  request 
permission  to  seek  for  the  body  of  the  count. 
Muza  delivered  it  to  them,  with  many  soldier 
like  encomiums  on  the  valor  of  that  good 
cavalier.  The  priests  covered  it  with  a  pall 
of  cloth  of  gold,  and  bore  it  back  in  melan 
choly  procession  to  the  city,  where  it  was  re 
ceived  with  loud  lamentations. 

The  siege  was  now  pressed  with  great  vigor 
and  repeated  assaults  were  made,  but  in  vain. 
Muza  saw,  at  length,  that  the  walls  were  too 
high  to  be  scaled,  and  the  gates  too  strong  to 
be  burst  open  without  the  aid  of  engines,  and 
he  desisted  from  the  attack  until  machines  for 
the  purpose  could  be  constructed.  The  gov- 


58  Spanisb  papers 


ernor  suspected  from  this  cessation  of  active 
warfare  that  the  enemy  flattered  themselves  to 
reduce  the  place  by  famine  ;  he  caused,  there 
fore,  large  baskets  of  bread  to  be  thrown  from 
the  wall,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Muza  to 
inform  him  that  if  his  army  should  be  in  want 
of  bread  he  would  supply  it,  having  sufficient 
corn  in  his  granaries  for  a  ten  years'  siege.* 

The  citizens,  however,  did  not  possess  the 
undaunted  spirit  of  their  governor.  When  they 
found  that  the  Moslems  were  constructing  tre 
mendous  engines  for  the  destruction  of  their 
walls,  they  lost  all  courage,  and,  surrounding 
the  governor  in  a  clamorous  multitude,  com 
pelled  him  to  send  forth  persons  to  capitulate. 

The  ambassadors  came  into  the  presence  of 
Muza  with  awe,  for  they  expected  to  find  a 
fierce  and  formidable  warrior  in  one  who  had 
filled  the  land  with  terror  ;  but,  to  their  aston 
ishment,  they  beheld  an  ancient  and  venerable 
man,  with  white  hair,  a  snowy  beard,  and  a 
pale,  emaciated  countenance.  He  had  passed 
the  previous  night  without  sleep,  and  had  been 
all  day  in  the  field  ;  he  was  exhausted,  there 
fore,  by  watchfulness  and  fatigue,  and  his 
garments  were  covered  with  dust. 

"What  a  devil  of  a  man  is  this,"  murmured 
the  ambassadors,  one  to  another,  ' '  to  under- 
*Bleda,  Cronica,  1.  2,  c.  n. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  59 


take  such  a  seige  when  on  the  verge  of  the 
grave.  Let  us  defend  our  city  the  best  way 
we  can  ;  surely  we  can  hold  out  longer  than 
the  life  of  this  gray  beard.  '  ' 

They  returned  to  the  city,  therefore,  scoffing 
at  an  invader  who  seemed  fitter  to  lean  on  a 
crutch  than  wield  a  lance  ;  and  the  terms  offered 
by  Muza,  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
thought  favorable,  were  scornfully  rejected  by 
the  inhabitants.  A  few  days  put  an  end  to 
this  mistaken  confidence.  Abdalasis,  the  son 
of  Muza,  arrived  from  Africa  at  the  head  of 
his  reinforcement  ;  he  brought  seven  thousand 
horsemen  and  a  host  of  Barbary  archers,  and 
made  a  glorious  display  as  he  marched  into  the 
camp.  The  arrival  of  this  youthful  warrior 
was  hailed  with  great  acclamations,  so  much 
had  he  won  the  hearts  of  the  soldiery  by  the 
frankness,  the  suavity,  and  generosity  of  his 
conduct.  Immediately  after  his  arrival  a  grand 
assault  was  made  upon  the  city,  and  several 
of  the  huge  battering  engines  being  finished, 
they  were  wheeled  up  and  began  to  thunder 
against  the  walls. 

The  unsteady  populace  were  again  seized 
with  terror,  and,  surrounding  their  governor 
with  fresh  clamors,  obliged  him  to  send  forth 
ambassadors  a  second  time  to  treat  of  a  sur 
render.  When  admitted  to  the  presence  of 


60  Spanfsb  papers 


Muza,  the  ambassadors  could  scarcely  believe 
their  eyes,  or  that  this  was  the  same  withered, 
white-headed  old  man  of  whom  they  had  lately 
spoken  with  scoffing.  His  hair  and  beard 
were  tinged  of  a  ruddy  brown  ;  his  countenance 
was  refreshed  by  repose  and  flushed  with  in 
dignation,  and  he  appeared  a  man  in  the 
matured  vigor  of  his  days.  The  ambassadors 
were  struck  with  awe.  "Surely,"  whispered 
they,  one  to  another,  *  *  this  must  be  either  a 
devil  or  a  magician,  who  can  thus  make  him 
self  old  and  young  at  pleasure  ! ' ' 

Muza  received  them  haughtily.  "  Hence," 
said  he,  ' '  and  tell  your  people  I  grant  them 
the  same  terms  I  have  already  proffered,  pro 
vided  the  city  be  instantly  surrendered  ;  but, 
by  the  head  of  Mahomet,  if  there  be  any  further 
delay,  not  one  mother's  son  of  ye  shall  receive 
mercy  at  my  hands  !  " 

The  deputies  returned  into  the  city  pale  and 
dismayed.  *  *  Go  forth  !  go  forth  ! ' '  cried  they, 
11  and  accept  whatever  terms  are  offered  ;  of 
what  avail  is  it  to  fight  against  men  who  can 
renew  their  youth  at  pleasure  ?  Behold,  we 
left  the  leader  of  the  infidels  an  old  and  feeble 
man,  and  to-day  we  find  him  youthful  and 
vigorous."  * 

*  Conde,  p.  i,  c.  13.  Ainbrosio  de  Morales.  N.  B. 
— In  the  chronicle  of  Spain,  composed  by  order  of 


Subjugation  of  Spain  61 


The  place  was,  therefore,  surrendered  forth 
with,  and  Muza  entered  it  in  triumph.  His 
terms  were  merciful.  Those  who  chose  to  re 
main  were  protected  in  persons,  possessions, 
and  religion  ;  he  took  the  property  of  those 
only  who  abandoned  the  city  or  had  fallen  in 
battle  ;  together  with  all  arms  and  horses,  and 
the  treasures  and  ornaments  of  the  churches. 
Among  these  sacred  spoils  was  found  a  cup 
made  of  a  single  pearl,  which  a  king  of  Spain, 
in  ancient  times,  had  brought  from  the  temple 
of  Jerusalem  when  it  was  destroyed  by  Nabu- 
chodonosor.  This  precious  relic  was  sent  by 
Muza  to  the  caliph,  and  was  placed  in  the  prin 
cipal  mosque  of  the  city  of  Damascus.* 

Muza  knew  how  to  esteem  merit  even  in  an 
enemy.  When  Sacarus,  the  governor  of 
Merida,  appeared  before  him,  he  lauded  him 
greatly  for  the  skill  and  courage  he  had  dis 
played  in  the  defense  of  his  city  ;  and,  taking 
off  his  own  scimetar,  which  was  of  great  value, 
girded  it  upon  him  with  his  own  hands. 
"  Wear  this,"  said  he,  "  as  a  poor  memorial  of 
my  admiration  ;  a  soldier  of  such  virtue  and 
valor  is  worthy  of  far  higher  honors." 

He  would  have  engaged  the  governor  in  his 

Alonzo  the  Wise,  this  anecdote  is  given  as  having 
happened  at  the  siege  of  Seville. 

*  Marmol.,  Descrip.  de  Africa,  t.  I,  1.  2. 


62  Spanisb  papers 


service,  or  have  persuaded  him  to  remain  in 
the  city,  as  an  illustrious  vassal  of  the  caliph, 
but  the  noble-minded  Sacarus  refused  to  bend 
to  the  yoke  of  the  conquerors  ;  nor  could  he 
bring  himself  to  reside  contentedly  in  his  coun 
try,  when  subjected  to  the  domination  of  the 
infidels.  Gathering  together  all  those  who 
chose  to  accompany  him  into  exile,  he  em 
barked  to  seek  some  country  where  he  might 
live  in  peace  and  in  the  free  exercise  of  his  re 
ligion.  What  shore  these  ocean  pilgrims  landed 
upon  has  never  been  revealed  ;  but  tradition 
vaguely  gives  us  to  believe  that  it  was  some 
unknown  island  far  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Atlantic.* 

*  Abulcasim,  Perdida  de  Espana,  1.  i,  c.  13. 


Cbapter   f . 

Expedition    of   Abdalasis    against    Seville    and    the 
"Land  ofTadmir." 

AFTER  the  capture  of  Merida,  Muza  gave 
a  grand  banquet  to  his  captains  and 
distinguished  warriors  in  that  magnifi 
cent  city.     At  this  martial  feast  were 
many  Arab  cavaliers  who  had  been  present  in 
various  battles,  and  they  vied  with  each  other 
in  recounting  the  daring  enterprises  in  which 
they   had    been    engaged,    and    the    splendid 
triumphs  they   had    witnessed.     While    they 
talked  with  ardor  and  exultation,  Abdalasis, 
the  son  of  Muza,  alone  kept  silence,  and  sat 
with  a  dejected  countenance.     At  length,  when 
there  was  a  pause,  he  turned  to  his  father  and 
addressed  him  with  modest  earnestness  :     ' '  My 
lord   and   father, ' '  said   he,  "I  blush  to  hear 
your  warriors   recount   the  toils  and   dangers 
they  have  passed  while  I  have  done  nothing 
to  entitle  me  to  their  companionship.     When 
63 


64  Spanisb  papers 


I  return  to  Egypt  and  present  myself  before 
the  caliph,  he  will  ask  me  of  my  services  in 
Spain  ;  what  battle  I  have  gained  ;  what  town 
or  castle  I  have  taken.  How  shall  I  answer 
him?  If  you  love  me,  then,  as  your  son,  give 
me  a  command,  intrust  me  to  an  enterprise, 
and  let  me  acquire  a  name  worthy  to  be  men 
tioned  among  men." 

The  eyes  of  Muza  kindled  with  joy  at  find 
ing  Abdalasis  thus  ambitious  of  renown  in  arms. 
1  'Allah  be  praised  ! ' '  exclaimed  he,  *  *  the  heart 
of  my  son  is  in  the  right  place.  It  is  becoming 
in  youth  to  look  upward  and  be  aspiring.  Thy 
desire,  Abdalasis,  shall  be  gratified." 

An  opportunity  at  that  very  time  presented 
itself  to  prove  the  prowess  and  discretion  of  the 
youth.  During  the  siege  of  Merida,  the  Chris 
tian  troops  which  had  taken  refuge  at  Beja  had 
reinforced  themselves  from  Penaflor,  and  sud 
denly  returning,  had  presented  themselves 
before  the  gates  of  the  city  of  Seville.*  Certain 
of  the  Christian  inhabitants  threw  open  the 
gates  and  admitted  them.  The  troops  rushed 
to  the  alcazar,  took  it  by  surprise,  and  put 
many  of  the  Moslem  garrison  to  the  sword  ; 
the  residue  made  their  escape,  and  fled  to  the 
Arab  camp  before  Merida,  leaving  Seville  ir» 
the  hands  of  the  Christians. 

*Espinosa,  Antq.y  Grand,  de  Sevilla,  1.  2,  c.  3.. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  65 


The  veteran  Muza,  now  that  the  siege  of 
Merida  was  at  an  end,  was  meditating  the  re 
capture  and  punishment  of  Seville  at  the  very 
time  when  Abdalasis  addressed  him.  "Be 
hold,  my  son,"  exclaimed  he,  "an  enterprise 
worthy  of  thy  ambition  !  Take  with  thee  all 
the  troops  thou  hast  brought  from  Africa  ;  re 
duce  the  city  of  Seville  again  to  subjection, 
and  plant  thy  standard  upon  its  alcazar.  But 
stop  not  there  :  carry  thy  conquering  sword  into 
the  southern  parts  of  Spain  ;  thou  wilt  find 
there  a  harvest  of  glory  yet  to  be  reaped." 

Abdalasis  lost  no  time  in  departing  upon  this 
enterprise.  He  took  with  him  Count  Julian, 
Magued  el  Rumi,  and  the  Bishop  Oppas,  that 
he  might  benefit  by  their  knowledge  of  the 
country.  When  he  came  in  sight  of  the  fair 
city  of  Seville,  seated  like  a  queen  in  the  midst 
of  its  golden  plain,  with  the  Guadalquivir  flow 
ing  beneath  its  walls,  he  gazed  upon  it  with  the 
admiration  of  a  lover,  and  lamented  in  his  soul 
that  he  had  to  visit  it  as  an  avenger.  His 
troops,  however,  regarded  it  with  wrathful  eyes, 
thinking  only  of  its  rebellion  and  of  the  massa 
cre  of  their  countrymen  in  the  alcazar. 

The  principal  people  of  the  city  had  taken 
no  part  in  this  gallant  but  fruitless  insurrec 
tion  ;  and  now,  when  they  beheld  the  army  of 
Abdalasis  encamped  upon  the  banks  of  the 


66  Spanish 


Guadalquivir,  would  fain  have  gone  forth  to 
make  explanations,  and  intercede  for  mercy. 
The  populace,  however,  forbade  any  one  to 
leave  the  city,  and,  barring  the  gates,  prepared 
to  defend  themselves  to  the  last. 

The  place  was  attacked  with  resistless  fury. 
The  gates  were  soon  burst  open  ;  the  Moslems 
rushed  in,  panting  for  revenge.  They  confined 
not  their  slaughter  to  the  soldiery  in  the  al 
cazar,  but  roamed  through  every  street,  con 
founding  the  innocent  with  the  guilty  in  one 
bloody  massacre,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost 
difficulty  that  Abdalasis  could  at  length  suc 
ceed  in  staying  their  sanguinary  career.* 

The  son  of  Muza  proved  himself  as  mild  in 
conquest  as  he  had  been  intrepid  in  assault. 
The  moderation  and  benignity  of  his  conduct 
soothed  the  terrors  of  the  vanquished,  and  his 
wise  precautions  restored  tranquillity.  Having 
made  proper  regulations  for  the  protection  of 
the  inhabitants,  he  left  a  strong  garrison  in  the 
place  to  prevent  any  future  insurrection,  and 
then  departed  on  the  further  prosecution  of  his 
enterprise. 

Wherever  he  went  his  arms  were  victorious, 

and  his  victories  were  always  characterized  by 

the  same  magnanimity.     At  length  he  arrived 

on  the  confines  of  that  beautiful  region,  com- 

*  Conde,  p.  i,  c.  14. 


tTbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  67 

prising  lofty  and  precipitous  mountains  and 
rich  and  delicious  plains,  afterwards  known  by 
the  name  of  the  kingdom  of  Murcia.  All  this 
part  of  the  country  was  defended  by  the  veteran 
Theodomir,  who,  by  skillful  management,  had 
saved  a  remnant  of  his  forces  after  the  defeat 
on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalete. 

Theodomir  was  a  stanch  warrior,  but  a  wary 
and  prudent  man.  He  had  experienced  the 
folly  of  opposing  the  Arabs  in  open  field,  where 
their  cavalry  and  armor  gave  them  such  superi 
ority  ;  on  their  approach,  therefore,  he  assem 
bled  all  his  people  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and 
took  possession  of  the  cliffs  and  mountain 
passes.  * '  Here, ' '  said  he,  "a  simple  goatherd, 
who  can  hurl  down  rocks  and  stones,  is  as  good 
as  a  warrior  armed  in  proof. ' '  In  this  way  he 
checked  and  harassed  the  Moslem  army  in 
all  its  movements, — showering  down  missiles 
upon  it  from  overhanging  precipices,  and  way 
laying  it  in  narrow  and  rugged  defiles,  where 
a  few  raw  troops  could  make  stand  against  a 
host. 

Theodomir  was  in  a  fair  way  to  baffle  his 
foes,  and  oblige  them  to  withdraw  from  his 
territories  ;  unfortunately,  however,  the  wary 
veteran  had  two  sons  with  him,  young  men  of 
hot  and  heady  valor,  who  considered  all  this 
prudence  of  their  father  as  savoring  of  coward- 


68  Spanfsb  papers 


ice,  and  who  were  anxious  to  try  their  prowess 
in  the  open  field.  "What  glory,"  said  they, 
"  is  to  be  gained  by  destroying  an  enemy  in  this 
way,  from  the  covert  of  rocks  and  thickets  ?  ' ' 

"You  talk  like  young  men,"  replied  the 
veteran.  "  Glory  is  a  prize  one  may  fight  for 
abroad,  but  safety  is  the  object  when  the  enemy 
is  at  the  door. ' ' 

One  day,  however,  the  young  men  succeeded 
in  drawing  down  their  father  into  the  plain. 
Abdalasis  immediately  seized  on  the  opportu 
nity,  and  threw  himself  between  the  Goths  and 
their  mountain  fastnesses.  Theodomir  saw 
too  late  the  danger  into  which  he  was  betrayed. 
"What  can  our  raw  troops  do,"  said  he, 
"  against  those  squadrons  of  horse  that  move 
like  castles  ?  I^et  us  make  a  rapid  retreat  to 
Orihuela,  and  defend  ourselves  from  behind  its 
walls." 

"  Father,"  said  the  eldest  son,  "  it  is  too  late 
to  retreat ;  remain  here  with  the  reserve  while 
my  brother  and  I  advance.  Fear  nothing  ;  am 
not  I  your  son,  and  would  I  not  die  to  defend 
you  ?  ' ' 

"  In  truth,"  replied  the  veteran,  "  I  have  my 
doubts  whether  you  are  my  son.  But  if  I  re 
main  here,  and  you  should  all  be  killed,  where 
then  would  be  my  protection  ?  Come,"  added 
he,  turning  to  the  second  son,  "I  trust  that 


Cbc  Subjugation  of  Spain  69 

thou  art  virtually  my  son,  let  us  hasten  to  re 
treat  before  it  is  too  late. ' ' 

"  Father,1'  replied  the  youngest,  "  I  have  not 
a  doubt  that  I  am  honestly  and  thoroughly 
your  son,  and  as  such  I  honor  you  ;  but  I  owe 
duty  likewise  to  my  mother,  and  when  I  sallied 
to  the  war  she  gave  me  her  blessing  as  long  as 
I  should  act  with  valor,  but  her  curse  should  I 
prove  craven  and  fly  the  field.  Fear  nothing, 
father  ;  I  will  defend  you  while  living,  and 
even  after  you  are  dead.  You  shall  never  fail 
of  an  honorable  sepulture  among  your  kindred. ' ' 

"  A  pestilence  on  ye  both,"  cried  Theodomir, 
'  *  for  a  brace  of  misbegotten  madmen  !  What 
care  I,  think  ye,  where  ye  lay  my  body  when 
I  am  dead?  One  day's  existence  in  a  hovel  is 
worth  an  age  of  interment  in  a  marble  sepul 
chre.  Come,  my  friends,"  said  he,  turning  to 
his  principal  cavaliers,  ' '  let  us  leave  these  hot 
headed  striplings  and  make  our  retreat ;  if  we 
tarry  any  longer  the  enemy  will  be  upon  us. ' ' 

Upon  this  the  cavaliers  and  proud  hidalgoes 
drew  up  scornfully  and  tossed  their  heads  : 
* '  What  do  you  see  in  us, ' '  said  they,  ' '  that  you 
think  we  will  show  our  backs  to  the  enemy  ? 
Forward  !  was  ever  the  good  old  Gothic  watch 
word,  and  with  that  will  we  live  and  die  !  " 

While  time  was  lost  in  these  disputes,  the 
Moslem  army  kept  advancing  until  retreat  was 


70  Spanisb  papers 


no  longer  practicable.  The  battle  was  tumul 
tuous  and  bloody.  Theodomir  fought  like  a 
lion,  but  it  was  all  in  vain  ;  he  saw  his  two 
sons  cut  down,  and  the  greater  part  of  their 
rash  companions,  while  his  raw  mountain 
troops  fled  in  all  directions. 

Seeing  there  was  no  longer  any  hope,  he 
seized  the  bridle  of  a  favorite  page  who  was 
near  him,  and  who  was  about  spurring  for  the 
mountains.  ' '  Part  not  from  me, ' '  said  he, 
"  but  do  thou,  at  least,  attend  to  my  counsel, 
my  son  ;  and  of  a  truth  I  believe  thou  art  my 
son,  for  thou  art  the  offspring  of  one  of  my 
handmaids  who  was  kind  unto  me."  And  in 
deed  the  youth  marvellously  resembled  him. 
Turning  then  the  reins  of  his  own  steed,  and 
giving  him  the  spur,  he  fled  amain  from  the 
field,  followed  by  the  page ;  nor  did  he  stop 
until  he  arrived  within  the  walls  of  Orihuela. 

Ordering  the  gates  to  be  barred  and  bolted, 
he  prepared  to  receive  the  enemy.  There  were 
but  few  men  in  the  city  capable  of  bearing 
arms,  most  of  the  youth  having  fallen  in  the 
field.  He  caused  the  women,  therefore,  to 
clothe  themselves  in  male  attire,  to  put  on  hats 
and  helmets,  to  take  long  reeds  in  their  hands 
instead  of  lances,  and  to  cross  their  hair  upon 
their  chins  in  semblance  of  beards.  With 
these  troops  he  lined  the  walls  and  toweis. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  71 


It  was  about  the  hour  of  twilight  that  Ab- 
dalasis  approached  with  his  army,  but  he 
paused  when  he  saw  the  walls  so  numerously 
garrisoned.  Then  Theodomir  took  a  flag  of 
truce  in  his  hand,  and  put  a  herald's  tabard  on 
the  page,  and  they  two  sallied  forth  to  capitu 
late,  and  were  graciously  received  by  Abdalasis. 

"  I  come,"  said  Theodomir,  "  on  the  behalf 
of  the  commander  of  this  city,  to  treat  for 
terms  worthy  of  your  magnanimity  and  of  his 
dignity.  You  perceive  that  the  city  is  capable 
of  withstanding  a  long  siege,  but  he  is  desirous 
of  sparing  the  lives  of  his  soldiers.  Promise 
that  the  inhabitants  shall  be  at  liberty  to  de 
part  unmolested  with  their  property,  and  the 
city  will  be  delivered  up  to  you  to-morrow 
morning  without  a  blow  ;  otherwise  we  are 
prepared  to  fight  until  not  a  man  be  left." 

Abdalasis  was  well  pleased  to  get  so  power 
ful  a  place  upon  such  easy  terms,  but  stipulated 
that  the  garrison  should  lay  down  their  arms. 
To  this  Theodomir  readily  assented,  with  the 
exception,  however,  of  the  governor  and  his 
retinue,  which  was  granted  out  of  considera 
tion  for  his  dignity.  The  articles  of  capitula 
tion  were  then  drawn  out,  and  when  Abdalasis 
had  affixed  his  name  and  seal,  Theodomir  took 
the  pen  and  wrote  his  signature.  "  Behold  in 
me,"  said  he,  "  the  governor  of  the  city  !  " 


72  Spanteb  papers 


Abdalasis  was  pleased  with  the  hardihood  of 
the  commander  of  the  place  in  thus  venturing 
personally  into  his  power,  and  entertained  the 
veteran  with  still  greater  honor.  When  The- 
odomir  returned  to  the  city,  he  made  known 
the  capitulation,  and  charged  the  inhabitants 
to  pack  up  their  effects  during  the  night  and 
be  ready  to  sally  forth  during  the  morning. 

At  the  dawn  of  day  the  gates  were  thrown 
open,  and  Abdalasis  looked  to  see  a  great  force 
issuing  forth,  but  to  his  surprise  beheld  merely 
Theodomir  and  his  page  in  battered  armor, 
followed  by  a  multitude  of  old  men,  women, 
and  children. 

Abdalasis  waited  until  the  whole  had  come 
forth,  then  turning  to  Theodomir,  "Where," 
cried  he,  "  are  the  soldiers  whom  I  saw  last 
evening  lining  the  walls  and  towers  ?  ' ' 

"  Soldiers  have  I  none,"  replied  the  veteran. 
"As  to  my  garrison,  behold  it  before  you. 
With  these  women  did  I  man  my  walls,  and 
this  my  page  is  my  herald,  guard,  and  re 
tinue." 

Upon  this  the  Bishop  Oppas  and  Count  Ju 
lian  exclaimed  that  the  capitulation  was  a  base 
fraud  and  ought  not  to  be  complied  with  ;  but 
Abdalasis  relished  the  stratagem  of  the  old 
soldier,  and  ordered  that  the  stipulations  of 
the  treaty  should  be  faithfully  performed. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  73 


Nay,  so  high  an  opinion  did  he  conceive  of  the 
subtle  wisdom  of  this  commander  that  he  per 
mitted  him  to  remain  in  authority  over  the 
surrounding  country  on  his  acknowledging 
allegiance  and  engaging  to  pay  tribute  to  the 
caliph  ;  and  all  that  part  of  Spain,  comprising 
the  beautiful  provinces  of  Murcia  and  Valen 
cia,  was  long  after  known  by  the  Arabic  name 
of  its  defender,  and  is  still  recorded  in  Arabian 
chronicles  as  "  The  land  of  Tadmir."  * 

Having  succeeded  in  subduing  this  rich  and 
fruitful  region,  and  having  gained  great  re- 
known  for  his  generosity  as  well  as  valor,  Ab- 
dalasis  returned  with  the  chief  part  of  his 
army  to  the  city  of  Seville. 

*  Conde,  p.  i.  Cronica  del  Moro  Rasis.  Cron. 
Gen.  Esparto,,  por  Alonzo  el  Sabio,  p.  3,  c.  I. 


Cbapter  £  1. 

Muza  Arrives  at  Toledo — Interview  between  him  and 
Taric. 

WHEN  Muza  ben  Nosier  had  sent  his 
son  Abdalasis  to  subdue  Seville,  he 
departed  for  Toledo  to  call  Taric  to 
account  for  his  disobedience  to  his 
orders ;  for,  amidst  all  his  own  successes,  the 
prosperous  career  of  that  commander  preyed 
upon  his  mind.     What  can  content  the  jealous 
and  ambitious  heart  ?    As  Muza  passed  through 
the  land,  towns  and  cities  submitted  to  him 
without  resistance ;  he  was  lost  in  wonder  at 
the  riches  of  the  country  and  the  noble  monu 
ments  of  art  with  which  it  was  adorned  ;  when 
he  beheld  the  bridges,  constructed  in  ancient 
times  by  the  Romans,  they  seemed  to  him  the 
work,  not  of  men,  but  of  genii.     Yet  all  these 
admirable   objects  only  made  him   repine  the 
more  that  he  had  not  had  the  exclusive  glory 
of  invading  and  subduing  the  land  ;  and  exas- 
74 


Cbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  75 

perated  him  the  more  against  Taric,  for  hav 
ing  apparently  endeavored  to  monopolize  the 
conquest. 

Taric  heard  of  his  approach,  and  came  forth 
to  meet  him  at  Talavera,  accompanied  by  many 
of  the  most  distinguished  companions  of  his 
victories,  and  with  a  train  of  horses  and  mules 
laden  with  spoils,  with  which  he  trusted  to 
propitiate  the  favor  of  his  commander.  Their 
meeting  took  place  on  the  banks  of  the  rapid 
river  Tietar,  which  rises  in  the  mountains  of 
Placencia  and  throws  itself  into  the  Tagus. 
Muza,  in  former  days,  while  Taric  had  acted 
as  his  subordinate  and  indefatigable  officer, 
had  cherished  and  considered  him  as  a  second 
self ;  but  now  that  he  had  started  up  to  be  a 
rival,  he  could  not  conceal  his  jealousy.  When 
the  veteran  came  into  his  presence,  he  regarded 
him  for  a  moment  with  a  stern  and  indignant 
aspect.  "  Why  hast  thou  disobeyed  my  or 
ders  ?  "  said  he.  ' '  I  commanded  thee  to  await 
my  arrival  with  reinforcements,  but  thou  hast 
rashly  overrun  the  country,  endangering  the 
loss  of  our  armies  and  the  rain  of  our  cause." 

"I  have  acted,"  replied  Taric,  "in  such 
manner  as  I  thought  would  best  serve  the 
cause  of  Islam,  and  in  so  doing  I  thought  to 
fulfil  the  wishes  of  Muza.  Whatever  I  have 
done  has  been  as  your  servant ;  behold  your 


76  Spanisb  papers 


vShare  as  commander- in-chief  of  spoils  which  I 
have  collected."  So  saying  he  produced  an 
immense  treasure  in  silver  and  gold,  and  costly 
stuffs  and  precious  stones,  and  spread  it  before 
Muza. 

The  anger  of  the  Arab  commander  was  still 
more  kindled  at  the  sight  of  this  booty,  for  it 
proved  how  splendid  had  been  the  victories  of 
Taric  ;  but  he  restrained  his  wrath  for  the  pres 
ent,  and  they  proceeded  together  in  moody  si 
lence  to  Toledo.  When  he  entered  this  royal 
city,  however,  and  ascended  to  the  ancient  pal 
ace  of  the  Gothic  kings,  and  reflected  that  all 
this  had  been  a  scene  of  triumph  to  his  rival, 
he  could  no  longer  repress  his  indignation. 
He  demanded  of  Taric  a  strict  account  of  all 
the  riches  he  had  gathered  in  Spain,  even  of 
the  presents  he  had  reserved  for  the  caliph,  and 
above  all,  he  made  him  yield  up  his  favorite 
trophy,  the  talismanic  table  of  Solomon .  When 
all  this  was  done,  he  again  upbraided  him  bit 
terly  with  his  disobedience  of  orders,  and  with 
the  rashness  of  his  conduct.  ' '  What  blind 
confidence  in  fortune  hast  thou  shown,"  said 
he,  "  in  overrunning  such  a  country  and  assail 
ing  such  powerful  cities  with  thy  scanty  force  ! 
What  madness  to  venture  everything  upon  a 
desperate  chance,  wThen  thou  knewest  I  was 
coming  with  a  force  to  make  the  victory  secure. 


Subjugation  ot  Spain  77 


All  thy  success  has  been  owing  to  mere  luck, 
not  to  judgment  nor  generalship." 

He  then  bestowed  high  praises  upon  the 
other  chieftians  for  their  services  in  the  cause 
of  Islam,  but  they  answered  not  a  word,  and 
their  countenances  were  gloomy  and  discon 
tented  ;  for  they  felt  the  injustice  done  to  their 
favorite  leader.  As  to  Taric,  though  his  eye 
burned  like  fire,  he  kept  his  passion  within 
bounds.  "  I  have  done  the  best  I  could  to 
serve  God  and  the  caliph,"  said  he  emphati 
cally  ;  "  my  conscience  acquits  me,  and  I  trust 
my  sovereign  will  do  the  same." 

"  Perhaps  he  may,"  replied  Muza,  bitterlv  ; 
"but,  in  the  meantime,  I  cannot  confide  his 
interests  to  a  desperado  who  is  heedless  of 
orders  and  throws  everything  at  hazard.  Such 
a  general  is  unworthy  to  be  intrusted  with  the 
fate  of  armies.  '  ' 

So  saying,  he  divested  Taric  of  his  command, 
and  gave  it  to  Magued  the  renegado.  The 
gaunt  Taric  still  maintained  an  air  of  stern 
composure.  His  only  words  were,  {  *  The  ca 
liph  will  do  me  justice  !  "  Muza  was  so  trans 
ported  with  passion  at  this  laconic  defiance 
that  he  ordered  him  to  be  thrown  into  prison, 
and  even  threatened  his  life. 

Upon  this,  Magued  el  Rumi,  though  he  had 
risen  by  the  disgrace  of  Taric,  had  the  gen- 


78  Spanlab  papers 


erosity  to  speak  out  warmly  in  his  favor. 
"  Consider,"  said  he,  to  Muza,  "  what  may  be 
the  consequences  of  this  severity  ?  Taric  has 
many  friends  in  the  army  ;  his  actions,  too, 
have  been  signal  and  illustrious,  and  entitle 
him  to  the  highest  honors  and  rewards,  instead 
of  disgrace  and  imprisonment." 

The  anger  of  Muza,  however,  was  not  to  be 
appeased  ;  and  he  trusted  to  justify  his  meas 
ures  by  despatching  missives  to  the  caliph, 
complaining  of  the  insubordination  of  Taric, 
and  his  rash  and  headlong  conduct.  The  result 
proved  the  wisdom  of  the  caution  given  by 
Magued.  In  the  course  of  a  little  while  Muza 
received  a  humiliating  letter  from  the  caliph, 
ordering  him  to  restore  Taric  to  the  command 
of  the  soldiers  * '  whom  he  had  so  gloriously 
conducted  ;  "  and  not  render  useless  ''one  of 
the  best  swords  in  Islam  !  "  * 

It  is  thus  the  envious  man  brings  humilia 
tion  and  reproach  upon  himself,  in  endeavor 
ing  to  degrade  a  meritorious  rival.  When  the 
tidings  came  of  the  justice  rendered  by  the 
caliph  to  the  merits  of  the  veteran,  there  was 
general  joy  throughout  the  army,  and  Muza 
read  in  the  smiling  countenances  of  every  one 
around  him  a  severe  censure  upon  his  conduct. 
He  concealed,  however,  his  deep  humiliation, 
*  Conde,  pt.  I,  c.  15. 


Subjugation  of  Spain 


and  affected  to  obey  the  orders  of  his  sovereign 
with  great  alacrity  ;  he  released  Taric  from 
prison,  feasted  him  at  his  own  table,  and  then 
publicly  replaced  him  at  the  head  of  his  troops. 
The  army  received  its  favorite  veteran  with 
shouts  of  joy,  and  celebrated  with  rejoicings 
the  reconciliation  of  the  commanders  ;  but  the 
shouts  of  the  soldiery  were  abhorrent  to  the 
ears  of  Muza. 


Cbapter 


Muza  Prosecutes  the  Scheme  of  Conquest  —  Siege  of 
Saragossa  —  Complete  Subjugation  of  Spain. 

THE  dissensions,  which  for  a  time  had  dis 
tracted  the  conquering  ariny,  being  ap 
peased,  and  the  Arabian  generals  being 
apparently  once  more  reconciled,  Muza, 
as  commander-in-  chief,  proceeded  to  complete 
the  enterprise  by  subjugating  the  northern  parts 
of  Spain.     The  same  expeditious  mode  of  con 
quest  that  had  been  sagaciously  adopted  by 
Taric   was   still    pursued.      The   troops  were 
lightly  armed,  and  freed  from  every  superflu 
ous  incumbrance.     Each  horseman,  beside  his 
arms,  carried  a  small  sack  of  provisions,  a  cop 
per  vessel  in  which  to  cook  them,  and  a  skin 
which  served  him  for  surcoat  and  for  bed.  The 
infantry  carried  nothing  but  their  arms.      To 
each  regiment  or  squadron  was  allowed  a  limited 
number  of  sumpter-mules  and  attendants,  barely 
80 


Subjugation  of  Spain  81 


enough  to  carry  their  necessary  baggage  and 
supplies  ;  nothing  was  permitted  that  could 
needlessly  diminish  the  number  of  fighting  men, 
delay  their  rapid  movements,  or  consume  their 
provisions.  Strict  orders  were  again  issued, 
prohibiting,  on  pain  of  death,  all  plunder  ex 
cepting  the  camp  of  an  enemy  or  cities  given 
up  to  pillage.* 

The  armies  now  took  their  several  lines  of 
march.  That  under  Taric  departed  towards 
the  northeast  ;  beating  up  the  country  towards 
the  source  of  the  Tagus,  traversing  the  chain 
of  Iberian  or  Arragonian  Mountains,  and  pour 
ing  down  into  the  plains  and  valleys  watered 
by  the  Kbro.  It  was  wonderful  to  see,  in  so 
brief  a  space  of  time,  such  a  vast  and  difficult 
country  penetrated  and  subdued,  and  the  invad 
ing  army,  like  an  inundating  flood,  pouring  its 
streams  into  the  most  remote  recesses. 

While  Taric  was  thus  sweeping  the  country 
to  the  northeast,  Muza  departed  in  an  opposite 
direction  ;  yet  purposing  to  meet  him,  and  to 
join  their  forces  in  the  north.  Bending  his 
course  westwardly,  he  made  a  circuit  behind 
the  mountains,  and  then,  advancing  into  the 
open  country,  displayed  his  banners  before 
Salamanaca,  which  surrendered  without  resist 
ance.  From  hence  he  continued  on  towards 
*  Conde  pt.  I,  c.  15. 


Spanisb  papers 


Astorga,  receiving  the  terrified  submission  of 
the  land  ;  then  turning  up  the  Valley  of  the 
Douro,  he  ascended  the  course  of  that  famous 
river  towards  the  east ;  crossed  the  Sierra  de 
Moncayo,  and,  arriving  on  the  banks  of  the 
Kbro,  marched  down  along  its  stream,  until  he 
approached  the  strong  city  of  Saragossa,  the 
citadel  of  all  that  part  of  Spain.  In  this  place 
had  taken  refuge  many  of  the  most  valiant  of 
the  Gothic  warriors — the  remnants  of  armies 
and  fugitives  from  conquered  cities.  It  was 
one  of  the  last  rallying-points  of  the  land. 
When  Muza  arrived,  Taric  had  already  been 
for  some  time  before  the  place,  laying  close 
siege  ;  the  inhabitants  were  pressed  by  famine, 
and  had  suffered  great  losses  in  repeated  com 
bats  ;  but  there  was  a  spirit  and  obstinacy  in 
their  resistance  surpassing  anything  that  had 
yet  been  witnessed  by  the  invaders. 

Muza  now  took  command  of  the  siege,  and 
ordered  a  general  assault  upon  the  walls.  The 
Moslems  planted  their  scaling-ladders,  and 
mounted  with  their  accustomed  intrepidity,  but 
were  vigorously  resisted  ;  nor  could  all  their 
efforts  obtain  them  a  footing  upon  the  battle 
ments.  While  they  were  thus  assailing  the 
walls,  Count  Julian  ordered  a  heap  of  combusti 
bles  to  be  placed  against  one  of  the  gates,  and 
set  on  fire.  The  inhabitants  attempted  in  vain, 


Subjugation  of  Spain  83 


from  the  barbican,  to  extinguish  the  flames. 
They  burned  so  fiercely  that  in  a  little  while 
the  gate  fell  from  the  hinges.  Count  Julian 
galloped  into  the  city,  mounted  upon  a  power 
ful  charger,  himself  and  his  steed  all  covered 
with  mail.  He  was  followed  by  three  hundred 
of  his  partisans,  and  supported  by  Magued  the 
renegade,  with  a  troop  of  horse. 

The  inhabitants  disputed  every  street  and 
public  square  ;  they  made  barriers  of  dead 
bodies,  fighting  behind  these  ramparts  of  their 
slaughtered  countrymen.  Every  window  and 
roof  was  filled  with  combatants  ;  the  very  wo 
men  and  children  joined  in  the  desperate  fight, 
throwing  down  stones  and  missiles  of  all  kinds, 
and  scalding  water  upon  the  enemy. 

The  battle  raged  until  the  hour  of  vespers, 
when  the  principal  inhabitants  held  a  parley, 
and  capitulated  for  a  surrender.  Muza  had 
been  incensed  at  their  obstinate  resistance, 
which  had  cost  the  lives  of  so  many  of  his 
soldiers  ;  he  knew,  also,  that  in  the  city  were 
collected  the  riches  of  many  of  the  towns  of 
eastern  Spain.  He  demanded,  therefore,  be 
side  the  usual  terms,  a  heavy  sum  to  be  paid 
down  by  the  citizens,  called  the  contribution 
of  blood  ;  as  by  this  they  redeemed  themselves 
from  the  edge  of  the  sword.  The  people  were 
obliged  to  comply.  They  collected  all  the 


34  Spanisb 


jewels  of  their  richest  families,  and  all  the  or 
naments  of  their  temples,  and  laid  them  at  the 
feet  of  Muza  ;  and  placed  in  his  power  many 
of  their  noblest  youths  as  hostages.  A  strong 
garrison  was  then  appointed,  and  thus  the 
fierce  city  of  Saragossa  was  subdued  to  the 
yoke  of  the  conqueror. 

The  Arab  generals  pursued  their  conquests 
even  to  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees  ;  Taric  then 
descended  along  the  course  of  the  Ebro,  and 
continued  along  the  Mediterranean  coast ;  sub 
duing  the  famous  city  of  Valencia,  with  its 
rich  and  beautiful  domains,  and  carrying  the 
success  of  his  arms  even  to  Denia. 

Muza  undertook  with  his  host  a  wider  range 
of  conquest.  He  overcame  the  cities  of  Barce 
lona,  Gerona,  and  others  that  lay  on  the  skirts 
of  the  eastern  mountains  ;  then  crossing  into 
the  land  of  the  Franks,  he  captured  the  city 
of  Narbonne — in  a  temple  of  which  he  found 
seven  equestrian  images  of  silver,  which  he 
brought  off  as  trophies  of  his  victory.*  Re 
turning  into  Spain,  he  scoured  its  northern 
regions  along  Gallicia  and  the  Asturias  ;  passed 
triumphantly  through  Lusitania,  and  arrived 
once  more  in  Andalusia,  covered  with  laurels 
and  enriched  with  immense  spoils. 

Thus  was  completed  the  subjugation  of  un- 
*  Conde,  pt.  I,  c.  16. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  85 


happy  Spain.  All  its  cities,  and  fortresses,  and 
strongholds,  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Saracens, 
excepting  some  of  the  wild  mountain  tracts 
that  bordered  the  Atlantic  and  extended  tow 
ards  the  north.  Here,  then,  the  story  of  the 
conquest  might  conclude,  but  that  the  inde 
fatigable  chronicler,  Fray  Antonio  Agapida, 
goes  on  to  record  the  fate  of  those  persons 
who  were  most  renowned  in  the  enterprise. 
We  shall  follow  his  steps,  and  avail  ourselves 
of  his  information,  laboriously  collected  from 
various  sources  ;  and,  truly,  the  story  of  each  of 
the  actors  in  this  great  historical  drama  bears 
with  it  its  striking  moral,  and  is  full  of  admo 
nition  and  instruction. 


Cbapter 


Feud  Between  the  Arab  Generals  —  They  are  Sum 
moned  to  Appear  Before  the  Caliph  at  Damascus  — 
Reception  of  Taric. 

THE  heart  of  Muza  ben  Nosier  was  now 
lifted  up,  for  he  considered  his  glory 
complete.     He  held  a  sway  that  might 
have   gratified    the    ambition    of   the 
proudest  sovereign,  for  all  western  Africa  and 
the  newly  acquired  peninsula  of  Spain  were 
obedient  to  his  rule  ;  and  he  was  renowned 
throughout    all    the    lands    of   Islam    as    the 
great   conqueror   of  the   West.     But   sudden 
humiliation  awaited  him  in  the  very  moment 
of  his  highest  triumph. 

Notwithstanding  the  outward  reconciliation 
of  Muza  and  Taric,  a  deep  and  implacable 
hostility  continued  to  exist  between  them  ;  and 
each  had  busy  partisans  who  distracted  the 
armies  by  their  feuds.  Letters  were  inces 
santly  despatched  to  Damascus  by  either  party, 
86 


Subjugation  of  Spain  s; 


exalting  the  merits  of  their  own  leader  and  de 
crying  his  rival.  Taric  was  represented  as  rash, 
arbitary,  and  prodigal,  and  as  injuring  the 
discipline  of  the  army,  by  sometimes  treating 
it  with  extreme  rigor  and  at  other  times  giving 
way  to  licentiousness  and  profusion.  Muza  was 
lauded  as  prudent,  sagacious,  dignified,  and  sys 
tematic  in  his  dealings.  The  friends  of  Taric, 
on  the  other  hand,  represented  him  as  brave, 
generous,  and  high-minded  ;  scrupulous  in  re 
serving  to  his  sovereign  his  rightful  share  of 
the  spoils,  but  distributing  the  rest  bounteously 
among  his  soldiers,  and  thus  increasing  their 
alacrity  in  the  service.  "Muza,  on  the  con 
trary,"  said  they,  "  is  grasping  and  insatiable  ; 
he  levies  intolerable  contributions  and  collects 
immense  treasure,  but  sweeps  it  all  into  his 
own  coffers." 

The  caliph  was  at  length  wearied  out  by 
these  complaints,  and  feared  that  the  safety  of 
the  cause  might  be  endangered  by  the  dissen 
sions  of  the  rival  generals.  He  sent  letters, 
therefore,  ordering  them  to  leave  suitable  per 
sons  in  charge  of  their  several  commands,  and 
appear,  forthwith,  before  him  at  Damascus. 

Such  was  the  greeting  from  his  sovereign 
that  awaited  Muza  on  his  return  from  the  con 
quest  of  northern  Spain.  It  was  a  grievous 
blow  to  a  man  of  his  pride  and  ambition  ;  but 


Spanfsb  papers 


he  prepared  instantly  to  obey.  He  returned 
to  Cordova,  collecting  by  the  way  all  the  treas 
ures  he  had  deposited  in  various  places.  At 
that  city  he  called  a  meeting  of  his  principal 
officers,  and  of  the  leaders  of  the  faction  of 
apostate  Christians,  and  made  them  all  do 
homage  to  his  son  Abdalasis,  as  emir  or  gov 
ernor  of  Spain.  He  gave  this  favorite  son 
much  sage  advice  for  the  regulation  of  his  con 
duct,  and  left  with  him  his  nephew,  Ayub,  a 
man  greatly  honored  by  the  Moslems  for  his 
wisdom  and  discretion  ;  exhorting  Abdalasis 
to  consult  him  on  all  occasions,  and  consider 
him  as  his  bosom  counsellor.  He  made  a  part 
ing  address  to  his  adherents,  full  of  cheerful 
confidence  ;  assuring  them  that  he  would  soon 
return,  loaded  with  new  favors  and  honors  b}^ 
his  sovereign,  and  enabled  to  reward  them  all 
for  their  faithful  services. 

When  Muza  sallied  forth  from  Cordova,  to 
repair  to  Damascus,  his  cavalgada  appeared 
like  the  sumptuous  pageant  of  some  oriental 
potentate ;  for  he  had  numerous  guards  and 
attendants  splendidly  armed  and  arrayed,  to 
gether  with  four  hundred  hostages,  who  were 
youthful  cavaliers  of  the  noblest  families  of  the 
Goths,  and  a  great  number  of  captives  of  both 
sexes,  chosen  for  their  beauty,  and  intended 
as  presents  for  the  caliph.  Then  there  was  a 


Gbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  89 

vast  train  of  beasts  of  burden,  laden  with  the 
plunder  of  Spain  ;  for  he  took  with  him  all  the 
wealth  he  had  collected  in  his  conquests  and 
all  the  share  that  had  been  set  apart  for  his 
sovereign.  With  this  display  of  trophies  and 
spoils,  showing  the  magnificence  of  the  land 
he  had  conquered,  he  looked  forward  with  con 
fidence  to  silence  the  calumnies  of  his  foes. 

As  he  traversed  the  valley  of  the  Guadal 
quivir  he  often  turned  and  looked  back  wist 
fully  upon  Cordova ;  and,  at  the  distance  of  a 
league,  when  about  to  lose  sight  of  it,  he 
checked  his  steed  upon  the  summit  of  a  hill, 
and  gazed  for  a  long  time  upon  its  palaces  and 
towers.  "  O  Cordova  !  "  exclaimed  he,  "great 
and  glorious  art  thou  among  cities,  and  abun 
dant  in  all  delights.  With  grief  and  sorrow  do 
I  part  from  thee,  for  sure  I  am  it  would  give 
me  length  of  days  to  abide  within  thy  pleasant 
walls!"  When  he  had  uttered  these  words, 
say  the  Arabian  chronicles,  he  resumed  his 
wayfaring  ;  but  his  eyes  were  bent  upon  the 
ground,  and  frequent  sighs  bespoke  the  heavi 
ness  of  his  heart. 

Embarking  at  Cadiz,  he  passed  over  to 
Africa  with  all  his  people  and  effects,  to  regu 
late  his  government  in  that  country.  He  di 
vided  the  command  between  his  sons,  Abdelola 
and  Meruan,  leaving  the  former  in  Tangier 


Spantsb  ipapers 


and  the  latter  in  Cairvan.  Thus  having  se 
cured,  as  he  thought,  the  power  and  prosperity 
of  his  family,  by  placing  all  his  sons  as  his 
lieutenants  in  the  country  he  had  conquered, 
he  departed  for  Syria,  bearing  with  him  the 
sumptuous  spoils  of  the  West. 

While  Muza  was  thus  disposing  of  his  com 
mands,  and  moving  cumbrously  under  the 
weight  of  wealth,  the  veteran  Taric  was  more 
speedy  and  alert  in  obeying  the  summons  of  the 
caliph.  He  knew  the  importance,  where  com 
plaints  were  to  be  heard,  of  being  first  in  pres 
ence  of  the  judge  ;  besides,  he  was  ever  ready  to 
march  at  a  moment's  warning  and  had  nothing 
to  impede  him  in  his  movements.  The  spoils 
he  had  made  in  his  conquests  had  either  been 
shared  among  his  soldiers,  or  yielded  up  to  Muza, 
or  squandered  away  with  open-handed  profu 
sion.  He  appeared  in  Syria  with  a  small  train 
of  war-worn  followers,  and  had  no  other 
trophies  to  show  than  his  battered  armor  and  a 
body  seamed  with  scars.  He  was  received, 
however,  with  rapture  by  the  multitude,  who 
crowded  to  behold  one  of  those  conquerors  of 
the  West,  whose  wonderful  achievements  were 
the  theme  of  every  tongue.  They  were 
charmed  with  his  gaunt  and  martial  air,  his 
hard,  sunburnt  features  and  his  scathed  eye. 
"All  hail,"  cried  they,  "to  the  Sword  of 


Subjugation  of  Spain  91 


Islam,  the  terror  of  unbelievers  !  Behold  the 
true  model  of  a  warrior,  who  despises  gain, 
and  seeks  for  nought  but  glory. 

Taric  was  graciously  received  by  the  caliph, 
who  asked  tidings  of  his  victories.  He  gave 
a  soldier-like  account  of  his  actions,  frank  and 
full,  without  any  feigned  modesty,  yet  without 
vainglory.  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful," 
said  he,  "  I  bring  thee  no  silver,  nor  gold,  nor 
precious  stones,  nor  captives,  for  what  spoils  I 
did  not  share  with  my  soldiers  I  gave  up  to 
Muza  as  my  commander.  How  I  have  con 
ducted  myself  the  honorable  warriors  of  thy 
host  will  tell  thee  ;  nay,  let  our  enemies,  the 
Christians,  be  asked  if  I  have  ever  shown  my 
self  cowardly,  or  cruel,  or  rapacious." 

"  What  kind  of  people  are  these  Chris 
tians?"  demanded  the  caliph. 

"  The  Spaniards,"  replied  Taric,  "  are  lions 
in  their  castles,  eagles  in  their  saddles,  but 
mere  women  when  on  foot.  When  vanquished 
they  escape  like  goats  to  the  mountains,  for 
they  need  not  see  the  ground  they  tread  on." 

"  And  tell  me  of  the  Moors  of  Barbary." 

"  They  are  like  Arabs  in  the  fierceness  and 
dexterity  of  their  attacks  and  in  their  knowl 
edge  of  the  stratagems  of  war  ;  they  resemble 
them,  too,  in  feature,  in  fortitude,  and  hospi 
tality  ;  but  they  are  the  most  perfidious  people 


Spanlsb  ipapers 


upon    earth,    and    never    regard    promise    or 
plighted  faith." 

And  the  people  of  Afranc  ;    what   sayest 
thou  of  them  ?  ' ' 

"  They  are  infinite  in  number,  rapid  in  the 
onset,  fierce  in  battle,  but  confused  and  head 
long  in  flight." 

' '  And  how  fared  it  with  thee  among  these 
people  ?  Did  they  sometimes  vanquish  thee  ?  ' ' 

"  Never,  by  Allah  !  "  cried  Taric,  with  hon 
est  warmth  ;  ' '  never  did  a  banner  of  mine  fly 
the  field.  Though  the  enemy  were  two  to  one, 
my  Moslems  never  shunned  the  combat ! ' ' 

The  caliph  was  well  pleased  with  the  martial 
bluntness  of  the  veteran,  and  showed  him  great 
honor ;  and  wherever  Taric  appeared  he  was 
the  idol  of  the  populace. 


Cbapter 


Muza  Arrives  at  Damascus  —  His  Interview  with  the  Ca 
liph  —  The  Table  of  Solomon  —  A  Rigorous  Sentence. 

SHORTLY   after  the   arrival  of  Taric  el 
Tuerto   at    Damascus    the    caliph   fell 
dangerously  ill,  insomuch  that  his  life 
was  despaired  of.     During  his  illness, 
tidings  were  brought  that  Muza  ben  Nosier 
had  entered  Syria  with  a  vast  cavalcade,  bear 
ing  all  the  riches  and  trophies  gained  in  the 
western  conquests.     Now  Suleiman  ben  Abdel- 
melec,  brother  to  the  caliph,  was  successor  to 
the  throne,  and  he  saw  that  his  brother  had 
lot  long  to  live,  and  wished  to  grace  the  com 
mencement  of  his   reign  by  this  triumphant 
display  of  the  spoils  of  Christendom  ;  he  sent 
messengers,  therefore,  to  Muza,  saying:   "The 
caliph  is  ill  and  cannot  receive  thee  at  present  ; 
I   pray  thee  tarry  on  the  road  until  his  re 
covery."     Muza,  however,  paid  no  attention 
to  the  messages  of  Suleiman,  but  rather  has- 
93 


94  Spanisb  papers 


tened  his  march  to  arrive  before  the  death  of 
the  caliph.  And  Suleiman  treasured  up  his 
conduct  in  his  heart. 

Muza  entered  the  city  in  a  kind  of  triumph, 
with  a  long  train  of  horses  and  mules  and 
camels  laden  with  treasure,  and  with  the  four 
hundred  sons  of  Gothic  nobles  as  hostages,  each 
decorated  with  a  diadem  and  a  girdle  of  gold  ; 
and  with  one  hundred  Christian  damsels,  whose 
beauty  dazzled  all  beholders.  As  he  passed 
through  the  streets  he  ordered  purses  of  gold 
to  be  thrown  among  the  populace,  who  rent 
the  air  with  acclamations.  "Behold,"  cried 
they,  ' '  the  veritable  conqueror  of  the  unbe 
lievers  !  Behold  the  true  model  of  a  conqueror, 
who  brings  home  wealth  to  his  country!" 
And  they  heaped  benedictions  on  the  head  of 
Muza. 

The  Caliph  Waled  Almanzor  rose  from  his 
couch  of  illness  to  receive  the  emir,  who,  when 
he  repaired  to  the  palace,  filled  one  of  its  great 
courts  with  treasures  of  all  kinds ;  the  halls, 
too,  were  thronged  with  youthful  hostages, 
magnificently  attired,  and  with  Christian  dam 
sels,  lovely  as  the  houris  of  paradise.  When 
the  caliph  demanded  an  account  of  the  con 
quest  of  Spain,  he  gave  it  with  great  eloquence; 
but,  in  describing  the  various  victories,  he  made 
110  mention  of  the  name  of  Taric,  but  spoke 


tlbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  95 

as  if  everything  had  been  effected  by  himself. 
He  then  presented  the  spoils  of  the  Christians 
as  if  they  had  been  all  taken  by  his  own  hands  ; 
and  when  he  delivered  to  the  caliph  the  mirac 
ulous  table  of  Solomon,  he  dwelt  with  anima 
tion  on  the  virtues  of  that  inestimable  talisman. 
Upon  this,  Taric,  who  was  present,  could  no 
longer  hold  his  peace.  ' '  Commander  of  the 
Faithful,"  said  he,  "examine  this  precious 
table,  if  any  part  be  wanting."  The  caliph 
examined  the  table,  which  was  composed  of  a 
single  emerald,  and  he  found  that  one  foot  was 
supplied  by  a  foot  of  gold.  The  caliph  turned 
to  Muza,  and  said:  "Where  is  the  other  foot 
of  the  table  ? ' '  Muza  answered  :  ' '  I  know 
not ;  one  foot  was  wanting  when  it  came  into 
my  hands."  Upon  this,  Taric  drew  from  be 
neath  his  robe  a  foot  of  emerald  of  like  work 
manship  to  the  others,  and  fitting  exactly  to 
the  table  :  "  Behold,  O  Commander  of  the  Faith 
ful !"  cried  he,  "a  proof  of  the  real  finder 
of  the  table  ;  and  so  is  it  with  the  greater  part 
of  the  spoils  exhibited  by  Muza  as  trophies  of 
his  achievements.  It  was  I  who  gained  them, 
and  who  captured  the  cities  in  which  they  were 
found.  If  you  want  proof,  demand  of  these 
Christian  cavaliers  here  present,  most  of  whom 
I  captured  ;  demand  of  those  Moslem  warriors 
who  aided  me  in  my  battles." 


96  Spanisb  papers 


Muza  was  confounded  for  a  moment,  but 
attempted  to  vindicate  himself.  "I  spake," 
said  he,  ' '  as  the  chief  of  your  armies,  under 
whose  orders  and  banners  this  conquest  was 
achieved.  The  actions  of  the  soldiers  are  the 
actions  of  the  commander.  In  a  great  victory 
it  is  not  supposed  that  the  chief  of  the  army 
takes  all  the  captives,  or  kills  all  the  slain,  or 
gathers  all  the  booty,  though  all  are  enumer 
ated  in  the  records  of  his  triumph."  The 
caliph,  however,  was  wroth,  and  heeded  not 
his  words.  ' '  You  have  vaunted  your  own  de 
serts,"  said  he,  "and  have  forgotten  the  de 
serts  of  others ;  nay,  you  have  sought  to 
debase  another,  who  has  loyally  served  his 
sovereign  ;  the  reward  of  your  envy  and  covet- 
ousness  be  upon  your  head  !  "  So  saying,  he 
bestowed  a  great  part  of  the  spoils  upon  Taric 
and  the  other  chiefs,  but  gave  nothing  to  Muza, 
and  the  veteran  retired  amidst  the  sneers  and 
murmurs  of  those  present. 

In  a  few  days  the  Caliph  Waled  died,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Suleiman.  The 
new  sovereign  cherished  a  deep  resentment 
against  Muza  for  having  presented  himself  at 
court  contrary  to  his  command,  and  he  listened 
readily  to  the  calumnies  of  his  enemies — for 
Muza  had  been  too  illustrious  in  his  deeds  not 
to  have  many  enemies.  All  now  took  courage 


Subjugation  of  Spain  97 


when  they  found  he  was  out  of  favor,  and  they 
heaped  slanders  on  his  head  ;  charging  him 
with  embezzling  much  of  the  share  of  the 
booty  belonging  to  the  sovereign.  The  new 
caliph  lent  a  willing  ear  to  the  accusation,  and 
commanded  him  to  render  up  all  that  he  had 
pillaged  from  Spain.  The  loss  of  his  riches 
might  have  been  born  with  fortitude  by  Muza, 
but  the  stigma  upon  his  fame  filled  his  heart 
with  bitterness.  "  I  have  been  a  faithful  ser 
vant  to  the  throne  from  my  youth  upwards,  '  ' 
said  he,  '  '  and  now  am  I  degraded  in  my  old 
age.  I  care  not  for  wealth,  I  care  not  for  life, 
but  let  me  not  be  deprived  of  that  honor  which 
God  has  bestowed  upon  me  !  '  ' 

The  caliph  was  still  more  exasperated  at  his 
repining,  and  stripped  him  of  his  commands, 
confiscated  his  effects,  fined  him  two  hundred 
thousand  pesants  of  gold,  and  ordered  that  he 
should  be  scourged  and  exposed  to  the  noon 
tide  sun,  and  afterwards  thrown  into  prison.* 
The  populace,  also,  reviled  and  scoffed  at  him 
in  his  misery,  and  as  they  beheld  him  led  forth 
to  the  public  gaze,  and  fainting  in  the  sun, 
they  pointed  at  him  with  derision,  and  ex 
claimed  :  '  '  Behold  the  envious  man  and  im 
postor  ;  this  is  he  who  pretended  to  have 
conquered  the  land  of  the  unbelievers  !  '  ' 

*  Conde,  pt.  i,  c.  17. 
7 


Cbapter  f  D. 

Conduct  of  Abdalasis  as  Emir  of  Spain. 

WHIIyK  these  events  were  happening 
in  Syria,   the  youthful  Abdalasis, 
the  son  of  Muza,  remained  as  emir 
or  governor  of  Spain.     He  was  of 
a  generous  and  benignant  disposition,  but  he 
was  open  and  confiding,  and  easily  led  away 
by  the  opinions  of  those  he  loved.    Fortunately 
his  father  had  left  with  him,  as  a  bosom  coun 
sellor,  the  discreet  Ayub,  the  nephew  of  Muza  ; 
aided  by  his  advice,  he  for  some  time  adminis 
tered  the  public  affairs  prudently  and  prosper 
ously. 

Not  long  after  the  departure  of  his  father,  he 
received  a  letter  from  him,  written  while  on  his 
journey  to  Syria  ;  it  was  to  the  following  pur 
port  : 

"Beloved  son  ;  honor  of  thy  lineage;  Allah  guard 
thee  from  all  harm  and  peril !  Listen  to  the  words  of 

98 


Subjugation  of  Spain  99 


thy  father.  Avoid  all  treachery,  though  it  should 
promise  great  advantage,  and  trust  not  in  him  who 
counsels  it,  even  though  he  should  be  a  brother. 
The  company  of  traitors  put  far  from  thee  ;  for  how 
canst  thou  be  certain  that  he  who  has  proved  false  to 
others  will  prove  true  to  thee  ?  Beware,  O  my  son, 
of  the  seductions  of  love.  It  is  an  idle  passion,  which 
enfeebles  the  heart  and  blinds  the  judgment  ;  it  ren 
ders  the  mighty  weak,  and  makes  slaves  of  princes. 
If  thou  shouldst  discover  any  foible  of  a  vicious  kind 
springing  up  in  thy  nature,  pluck  it  forth,  whatever 
pang  it  cost  thee.  Bvery  error,  while  new,  may  easily 
be  weeded  out,  but  if  suffered  to  take  root,  it  flour 
ishes  and  bears  seed  and  produces  fruit  an  hundred 
fold.  Follow  these  counsels,  O  son  of  my  affections, 
and  thou  shalt  live  secure." 


Abdalasis  meditated  upon  this  letter,  for 
some  part  of  it  seemed  to  contain  a  mystery 
which  he  could  not  comprehend.  He  called 
to  him  his  cousin  and  counsellor,  the  discreet 
Ayub.  "What  means  my  father,"  said  he, 
' '  in  cautioning  me  against  treachery  and 
treason  ?  Does  he  think  my  nature  so  base 
that  it  could  descend  to  such  means  ? ' ' 

Ayub  read  the  letter  attentively.  "  Thy 
father,"  said  he,  "  would  put  thee  on  thy  guard 
against  the  traitors  Julian  and  Oppas,  and 
those  of  their  party  who  surround  thee.  What 
love  canst  thou  expect  from  men  who  have 
been  unnatural  to  their  kindred,  and  what 


Spanfsb  papers 


loyalty  from  wretches  who  have  betrayed  their 
country  ? ' ' 

Abdalasis  was  satisfied  with  the  interpreta 
tion,  and  he  acted  accordingly.  He  had  long 
loathed  all  communion  with  these  men,  for 
there  is  nothing  which  the  open,  ingenuous 
nature  so  much  abhors  as  duplicity  and  trea 
son.  Policy,  too,  no  longer  required  their 
agency  ;  they  had  rendered  their  infamous  ser 
vice,  and  had  no  longer  a  country  to  betray  ; 
but  they  might  turn  and  betray  their  employ 
ers.  Abdalasis,  therefore,  removed  them  to  a 
distance  from  his  court,  and  placed  them  in 
situations  where  they  could  do  no  harm,  and 
he  warned  his  commanders  from  being  in  any 
wise  influenced  by  their  counsels  or  aided  by 
their  arms. 

He  now  confided  entirely  in  his  Arabian 
troops,  and  in  the  Moorish  squadrons  from 
Africa,  and  with  their  aid  he  completed  the 
conquest  of  lyusitania  to  the  ultimate  parts  of 
the  Algarbe,  or  west,  even  to  the  shores  of  the 
great  Ocean  sea.*  From  hence  he  sent  his 
generals  to  overrun  all  those  vast  and  rugged 

*  Algarbe,  or  Algarbia,  in  Arabic  signifies  the  west, 
as  Axarkia  is  the  east,  Algufia  the  north,  and  Aquibla 
the  south.  This  will  serve  to  explain  some  of  the 
geographical  names  on  the  peninsula  which  are  of 
Arabian  origin. 


Subjugation  of  Spain  101 


sierras,  which  rise  like  ramparts  along  the 
ocean  borders  of  the  peninsula  ;  and  they  car 
ried  the  standard  of  Islam  in  triumph  even  to 
the  Mountains  of  Biscay,  collecting  all  manner 
of  precious  spoil. 

"  It  is  not  enough,  O  Abdalasis,"  said  Ayub, 
"  that  we  conquer  and  rule  this  country  with 
the  sword  ;  if  we  wish  our  dominion  to  be 
secure,  we  must  cultivate  the  arts  of  peace, 
and  study  to  secure  the  confidence  and  promote 
the  welfare  of  the  people  we  have  conquered." 
Abdalasis  relished  counsel  which  accorded  so 
well  with  his  own  beneficent  nature.  He  en 
deavored,  therefore,  to  allay  the  ferment  and 
confusion  of  the  conquest  ;  forbade,  under 
rigorous  punishment,  all  wanton  spoil  or  op 
pression,  and  protected  the  native  inhabitants 
in  the  enjoyment  and  cultivation  of  their  lands, 
and  the  pursuit  of  all  useful  occupations.  By 
the  advice  of  Ayub,  also,  he  encouraged  great 
numbers  of  industrious  Moors  and  Arabs  to 
emigrate  from  Africa,  and  gave  them  houses 
and  lands  ;  thus  introducing  a  peaceful  and 
Mahometan  population  in  the  conquered  prov 
inces. 

The  good  effect  of  the  counsels  of  Ayub  were 
soon  apparent.  Instead  of  a  sudden  but  tran 
sient  influx  of  wealth,  made  by  the  ruin  of  the 
land,  which  left  the  country  desolate,  a  regular 


102  Spanfsb  papcra 


and  permanent  revenue  sprang  up,  produced 
by  reviving  prosperity,  and  gathered  without 
violence.  Abdalasis  ordered  it  to  be  faithfully 
collected,  and  deposited  in  coffers  by  public 
officers  appointed  in  each  province  for  the  pur 
pose  ;  and  the  whole  was  sent  by  ten  deputies 
to  Damascus  to  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  the  caliph  ; 
not  as  the  spoils  of  a  vanquished  country,  but 
as  the  peaceful  trophies  of  a  wisely  adminis 
tered  government. 

The  common  herd  of  warlike  adventurers, 
the  mere  men  of  the  sword,  who  had  thronged 
to  Spain  for  the  purpose  of  ravage  and  rapine, 
were  disappointed  at  being  thus  checked  in 
their  career,  and  at  seeing  the.  reign  of  terror 
and  violence  drawing  to  a  close.  What  man 
ner  of  leader  is  this  said  they,  who  forbids  us 
to  make  spoil  of  the  enemies  of  Islam,  and  to 
enjoy  the  land  we  have  wrested  from  the  un 
believers  ?  The  partisans  of  Julian,  also,  whis 
pered  their  calumnies.  "Behold,"  said  they, 
'  *  with  what  kindness  he  treats  the  enemies  of 
your  faith  ;  all  the  Christians  who  have  borne 
arms  against  you,  and  withstood  your  entrance 
into  the  land,  are  favored  and  protected  ;  but 
it  is  enough  for  a  Christian  to  have  befriended 
the  cause  of  the  Moslems  to  be  singled  out  by 
Abdalasis  for  persecution,  and  to  be  driven 
with  scorn  from  his  presence, ' ' 


Subjugation  of  Spain 


103 


These  insinuations  fermented  the  discontent 
of  the  turbulent  and  rapacious  among  the  Mos 
lems,  but  all  the  friends  of  peace  and  order  and 
good  government  applauded  the  moderation  of 
the  youthful  emir. 


Cbapter 

Loves  of  Abdalasis  and  Bxilona. 

ABDAIyASIS  had  fixed  his  seat  of  govern 
ment  at  Seville,  as  permitting  easy  and 
frequent    communications    with    the 
coast   of  Africa.     His  palace  was  of 
noble  architecture,  with  delightful  gardens  ex 
tending  to  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir.     In 
a  part  of  this  palace  resided  many  of  the  most 
beautiful  Christian  females,  who  were  detained 
as  captives,  or  rather  hostages,  to  insure  the 
tranquillity  of  the  country.     Those  who  were 
of  noble  rank  were  entertained  in  luxury  and 
magnificence  ;  slaves  were  appointed  to  attend 
upon  them,  and  they  were  arrayed  in  the  rich 
est  apparel  and  decorated  with  the  most  pre 
cious  jewels.     Those  of  tender  age  were  taught 
all  graceful  accomplishments  ;  and  even  where 
tasks  were  imposed,  they   were   of  the  most 
elegant  and  agreeable  kind.   They  embroidered, 
they  sang,  they  danced,  and  passed  their  times 
104 


Cbe  Subjugation  of  Spain  105 

in  pleasing  revelry.  Many  were  lulled  by  this 
easy  and  voluptuous  existence  ;  the  scenes  of 
horror  through  which  they  had  passed  were 
gradually  effaced  from  their  minds,  and  a  desire 
was  often  awakened  of  rendering  themselves 
pleasing  in  the  eyes  of  their  conquerors. 

After  his  return  from  his  campaign  in  Lusi- 
tania  and  during  the  intervals  of  public  duty, 
Abdalasis  solaced  himself  in  the  repose  of  this 
palace,  and  in  the  society  of  these  Christian 
captives.  He  remarked  one  among  them  who 
ever  set  apart,  and  neither  joined  in  the  labors 
nor  sports  of  her  companions. 

She  was  lofty  in  her  demeanor,  and  the  others 
always  paid  her  reverence  ;  yet  sorrow  had 
given  softness  to  her  charms,  and  rendered  her 
beauty  touching  to  the  heart.  Abdalasis  found 
her  one  day  in  the  garden  with  her  companions  ; 
they  had  adorned  their  heads  with  flowers,  and 
were  singing  the  songs  of  their  country,  but 
she  sat  by  herself  and  wept.  The  youthful  emir 
was  moved  by  her  tears,  and  accosted  her  in  gen 
tle  accents  :  "  O  fairest  of  women  !  "  said  he, 
'  *  why  dost  thou  weep,  and  why  is  thy  heart 
troubled?"  "Alas!"  replied  she,  "have  I 
not  cause  to  weep,  seeing  how  sad  is  my  con 
dition,  and  how  great  the  height  from  which  I 
have  fallen  ?  In  me  you  behold  the  wretched 
Kxilona,  but  lately  the  wife  of  Roderick  and 


io6  Spanisb  papers 


the  Queen  of  Spain,  now  a  captive  and  a  slave  ! " 
and,  having  said  these  words,  she  cast  her 
eyes  upon  the  earth,  and  her  tears  began  to 
flow  afresh. 

The  generous  feelings  of  Abdalasis  were 
aroused  at  the  sight  of  beauty  and  royalty  in 
tears.  He  gave  orders  that  Bxilona  should  be 
entertained  in  a  style  befitting  her  former  rank  ; 
he  appointed  a  train  of  female  attendants  to 
wait  upon  her,  and  a  guard  of  honor  to  protect 
her  from  all  intrusion.  All  the  time  that  he 
could  spare  from  public  concerns  was  passed 
in  her  society  ;  and  he  even  neglected  his 
divan,  and  suffered  his  counsellors  to  attend 
in  vain,  while  he  lingered  in  the  apartments 
and  gardens  of  the  palace,  listening  to  the  voice 
of  Kxilona. 

The  discreet  A}^ub  saw  the  danger  into  which 
he  was  falling.  "  O  Abdalasis,"  said  he,  c<  re 
member  the  words  of  thy  father.  '  Beware, 
my  son,'  said  he,  'of  the  seductions  of  love. 
It  renders  the  mighty  weak,  and  makes  slaves 
of  princes  !  '"  A  blush  kindled  on  the  cheek 
of  Abdalasis,  and  he  was  silent  for  a  moment. 
"  Why/'  said  he,  at  length,  "  do  you  seek  to 
charge  me  with  such  weakness?  It  is  one 
thing  to  be  infatuated  by  the  charms  of  a 
woman,  and  another  to  be  touched  by  her  mis- 


Subjugation  of  Spain  107 


fortunes.  It  is  the  duty  of  my  station  to  con 
sole  a  princess  who  has  been  reduced  to  the 
lowest  humiliation  by  the  triumphs  of  cur  arms. 
In  doing  so  I  do  but  listen  to  the  dictates  of 
true  magnanimity." 

Ayub  was  silent,  but  his  brow  was  clouded, 
and  for  once  Abdalasis  parted  in  discontent 
from  his  counsellor.  In  proportion  as  he  was 
dissatisfied  with  others  or  with  himself,  he 
sought  the  society  of  Bxilona,  for  there  was  a 
charm  in  her  conversation  that  banished  every 
care.  He  daily  became  more  and  more  enam 
oured,  and  Exilona  gradually  ceased  to  weep, 
and  began  to  listen  with  secret  pleasure  to  the 
words  of  her  Arab  lover.  When,  however,  he 
sought  to  urge  his  passion,  she  recollected  the 
light  estimation  in  which  her  sex  was  held  by 
the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and  assumed  a  coun 
tenance  grave  and  severe. 

1  '  Fortune,  '  '  said  she,  '  '  has  cast  me  at  thy 
feet  ;  behold  I  am  thy  captive  and  thy  spoil. 
But  though  my  person  is  in  thy  power,  my 
soul  is  unsubdued  ;  and  know  that,  should  I 
lack  force  to  defend  my  honor,  I  have  resolu 
tion  to  wash  out  all  stain  upon  it  with  my 
blood.  I  trust,  however,  in  thy  courtesy  as  a 
cavalier  to  respect  me  in  my  reverses,  remem 
bering  what  I  have  been,  and  that  though  the 


io8  Spanisb  papers 


crown  has  been  wrested  from  my  brow,  the 
royal  blood  still  warms  within  my  veins."  * 

The  lofty  spirit  of  Bxilona,  and  her  proud 
repulse,  served  but  to  increase  the  passion  of 
Abdalasis.  He  besought  her  to  unite  her 
destiny  with  his,  and  share  his  state  and  power, 
promising  that  she  should  have  no  rival  nor 
copartner  in  his  heart.  Whatever  scruples  the 
captive  queen  might  originally  have  felt  to  a 
union  with  one  of  the  conquerors  of  her  lord, 
and  an  enemy  of  her  adopted  faith,  they  were 
easily  vanquished,  and  she  became  the  bride 
of  Abdalasis.  He  would  fain  have  persuaded 
her  to  return  to  the  faith  of  her  fathers ;  but 
though  of  Moorish  origin,  and  brought  up  in 
the  doctrines  of  Islam,  she  was  too  thorough  a 
convert  to  Christianity  to  consent,  and  looked 
back  with  disgust  upon  a  religion  that  ad 
mitted  a  plurality  of  wives. 

When  the  sage  Ayub  heard  of  the  resolution 
of  Abdalasis  to  espouse  Exilona  he  was  in 
despair.  "  Alas,  my  cousin  !"  said  he,  "  what 
infatuation  possesses  thee  ?  Hast  thou  then 
entirely  forgotten  the  letter  of  thy  father  ?  *  Be 
ware,  my  son,'  said  he,  '  of  love  ;  it  is  an  idle 
passion,  which  enfeebles  the  heart  and  blinds 
the  judgment.'  "  But  Abdalasis  interrupted 

*  Faxardo,  Corona  Gothica,  t.  I,  p.  492  Joan,  Mar. 
de  Reb.  Hisp.,  1.  6,  c.  27. 


Subjugation  of  Spain 


109 


him  with  impatience.  "  My  father,"  said  he, 
' '  spake  but  of  the  blandishments  of  wanton 
love  ;  against  these  I  am  secured  by  my  vir 
tuous  passion  for  Exilona." 

Ayub  would  fain  have  impressed  upon  him 
the  dangers  he  ran  of  awakening  suspicion  in 
the  caliph,  and  discontent  among  the  Moslems, 
by  wedding  the  queen  of  the  conquered  Roder 
ick,  and  one  who  was  an  enemy  to  the  religion 
of  Mahomet ;  but  the  youthful  lover  only 
listened  to  his  passion.  Their  nuptials  were 
celebrated  at  Seville  with  great  pomp  and  re 
joicings,  and  he  gave  his  bride  the  name  of 
Omalisam  ;  that  is  to  say,  she  of  the  precious 
jewels*;  but  she  continued  to  be  known 
among  the  Christians  by  the  name  of  Kxilona. 

*  Conde,  pt.  i,  c.  17. 


Cbapter  £ lt>«, 

Fate  of  Abdalasis  and  Exilona — Death  of  Muza. 

POSSESSION,  instead  of  cooling  the  pas 
sion   of  Abdalasis,    only   added  to  its 
force  ;    he  became  blindly  enamoured 
of  his  beautiful  bride,   and   consulted 
her  will  in  all   things ;    nay,   having  lost  all 
relish  for  the  advice  of  the  discreet  Ayub,  he 
was  even  guided  by  the  counsels  of  his  wife 
in  the  affairs  of  government.     Exilona,  unfor 
tunately,    had   once  been   a   queen,    and   she 
could  not  remember  her  regal  glories  without 
regret.     She    saw  that  Abdalasis    had   great 
power  in  the  land, — greater  even  than  had  been 
possessed  by  the  Gothic  kings, — but  she  con 
sidered  it  as  wanting  in  true  splendor  until  his 
brow  should  be  encircled  with   the  outward 
badge  of  royalty.     One  day,  when  they  were 
alone  in  the  palace  of  Seville,  and  the  heart  of 
Abdalasis  was  given   up  to   tenderness,    she 
addressed    him    in    fond    yet   timid    accents : 
no 


Subjugation  ot  Spain  in 


11  Will  not  my  lord  be  offended,"  said  she, 
"  if  I  make  an  unwelcome  request  ?  '  '  Abda- 
lasis  regarded  her  with  a  smile.  "  What 
canst  thouask  of  me,  Exilona,"  said  he,  "  that 
it  would  not  be  a  happiness  for  me  to  grant  ?  " 
Then  Exilona  produced  a  crown  of  gold,  spark 
ling  with  jewels,  which  had  belonged  to  the 
king,  Don  Roderick,  and  said  :  "  Behold,  thou 
art  king  in  authority  ;  be  so  in  thy  outward 
state.  There  is  majesty  and  glory  in  a  crown  ; 
it  gives  a  sanctity  to  power."  Then  putting 
the  crown  upon  his  head,  she  held  a  mirror 
before  him,  that  he  might  behold  the  majesty 
of  his  appearance.  Abadalasis  chid  her  fondly, 
and  put  the  crown  away  from  him,  but  Exilona 
persisted  in  her  prayer.  "Never,"  said  she, 
"  has  there  been  a  king  in  Spain  that  did  not 
wear  a  crown.  '  '  So  Abdalasis  suffered  himself 
to  be  beguiled  by  the  blandishments  of  his  wife, 
and  to  be  invested  with  the  crown  and  sceptre 
and  other  signs  of  royalty.* 

It  is  affirmed  by  ancient  and  discreet  chroni 
clers,  that  Abdalasis  only  assumed  this  royal 
state  in  the  privacy  of  his  palace,  and  to  gratify 
the  eye  of  his  youthful  bride  ;  but  where  was 
a  secret  ever  confined  within  the  walls  of  a 
palace  ?  The  assumption  of  the  insignia  of  the 

*  Chron.  Gen.  de  Alonzo  elSabio,  p.  3.  Joan,  Mar. 
de  Reb.  Hisp.,  lib.  6,  c.  27.  Conde,  pt.  i,  c.  19. 


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ancient  Gothic  kings  was  soon  rumored  about, 
and  caused  the  most  violent  suspicions.  The 
Moslems  had  already  felt  jealous  of  the  ascen 
dency  of  this  beautiful  woman,  and  it  was  now 
confidently  asserted  that  Abdalasis,  won  by 
her  persuasions,  had  secretly  turned  Christian. 

The  enemies  of  Abdalasis,  those  whose  rapa 
cious  spirits  had  been  kept  in  check  by  the 
beneficence  of  his  rule,  seized  upon  this  occa 
sion  to  ruin  him.  They  sent  letters  to  Damas 
cus,  accusing  him  of  apostasy,  and  of  an  inten 
tion  to  seize  upon  the  throne  in  right  of  his 
wife,  Kxilona,  as  widow  of  the  late  King 
Roderick.  It  was  added,  that  the  Christians 
were  prepared  to  flock  to  his  standard  as  the 
only  means  of  regaining  ascendency  in  their 
country. 

These  accusations  arrived  at  Damascus  j  ust 
after  the  accession  of  the  sanguinary  Suleiman 
to  the  throne,  and  in  the  height  of  his  persecu 
tion  of  the  unfortunate  Muza.  The  caliph 
waited  for  no  proofs  in  confirmation  ;  he  im 
mediately  sent  private  orders  that  Abdalasis 
should  be  put  to  death,  and  that  the  same  fate 
should  be  dealt  to  his  two  brothers  who  gov 
erned  in  Africa,  as  a  sure  means  of  crushing 
the  conspiracy  of  this  ambitious  family. 

The  mandate  for  the  death  of  Abdalasis  was 
sent  to  Abhilbar  ben  Obeidah  and  Zeyd  ben 


Subjugation  of  Spain  113 


Nabegat,  both  of  whom  had  been  cherished 
friends  of  Muza,  and  had  lived  in  intimate  fa 
vor  and  companionship  with  his  son.  When 
they  read  the  fatal  parchment,  the  scroll  fell 
from  their  trembling  hands.  '  '  Can  such  hos 
tility  exist  against  the  family  of  Muza?  "  ex 
claimed  they.  "  Is  this  the  reward  for  such 
great  and  glorious  services  ?  '  '  The  cavaliers 
remained  for  some  time  plunged  in  horror  and 
consternation.  The  order,  however,  was  ab 
solute,  and  left  them  no  discretion.  "  Allah  is 
great,"  said  they,  "  and  commands  us  to  obey 
our  sovereign.  '  '  So  they  prepared  to  execute 
the  bloody  mandate  with  the  blind  fidelity  of 
Moslems. 

It  was  necessary  to  proceed  with  caution. 
The  open  and  magnanimous  character  of  Ab- 
dalasis  had  won  the  hearts  of  a  great  part  of 
the  soldiery,  and  his  magnificence  pleased  the 
cavaliers  who  formed  his  guard  ;  it  was  feared, 
therefore,  that  a  sanguinary  opposition  would 
be  made  to  any  attempt  upon  his  person.  The 
rabble,  however,  had  been  embittered  against 
him  from  his  having  restrained  their  depreda 
tions,  and  because  they  thought  him  an  apos 
tate  in  his  heart,  secretly  bent  upon  betraying 
them  to  the  Christains.  While,  therefore,  the 
two  officers  made  vigilant  dispositions  to  check 
any  movement  on  the  part  of  the  soldiery,  they 


ii4  Spanisb  papers 


let  loose  the  blind  fury  of  the  populace  by  pub 
lishing  the  fatal  mandate.  In  a  moment  the 
city  was  in  a  ferment,  and  there  was  a  ferocious 
emulation  who  should  be  first  to  execute  the 
orders  of  the  caliph. 

Abdalasis  was  at  this  time  at  a  palace  in  the 
country  not  far  from  Seville,  commanding  a 
delightful  view  of  the  fertile  plain  of  the 
Guadalquivir.  Hither  he  was  accustomed  to 
retire  from  the  tumult  of  the  court,  and  to  pass 
his  time  among  groves  and  fountains  and  the 
sweet  repose  of  gardens,  in  the 'society  of  Exi- 
lona.  It  was  the  dawn  of  day,  the  hour  of 
early  prayer,  when  the  furious  populace  ar 
rived  at  this  retreat.  Abdalasis  was  offering 
up  his  orisons  in  a  small  mosque  which  he  had 
erected  for  the  use  of  the  neighboring  peas 
antry.  Exilona  was  in  a  chapel  in  the  interior 
of  the  palace,  where  her  confessor,  a  holy  friar, 
was  performing  mass.  They  were  both  sur 
prised  at  their  devotions,  and  dragged  forth  by 
the  hands  of  the  rabble.  A  few  guards,  who 
attended  at  the  palace,  would  have  made  de 
fense,  but  they  were  overawed  by  the  sight  of 
the  written  mandate  of  the  caliph. 

The  captives  were  borne  in  triumph  to  Se 
ville.  All  the  beneficent  virtues  of  Abdalasis 
were  forgotten  ;  nor  had  the  charms  of  Exi- 
lona  any  effect  in  softening  the  hearts  of  the 


Subjugation  of  Spain  115 


populace.  The  brutal  eagerness  to  shed  blood, 
which  seems  inherent  in  human  nature,  was 
awakened  ;  and  woe  to  the  victims  when  that 
eagerness  is  quickened  by  religious  hate.  The 
illustrious  couple,  adorned  with  all  the  graces 
of  youth  and  beauty,  were  hurried  to  a  scaffold 
in  the  great  square  of  Seville,  and  there  be 
headed  amidst  the  shouts  and  execrations  of 
an  infatuated  multitude.  Their  bodies  were 
left  exposed  upon  the  ground,  and  would  have 
been  devoured  by  dogs,  had  they  not  been 
gathered  at  night  by  some  friendly  hand,  and 
poorly  interred  in  one  of  the  courts  of  their 
late  dwelling. 

Thus  terminated  the  loves  and  lives  of  Ab- 
dalasis  and  Exilona,  in  the  year  of  the  Incar 
nation  seven  hundred  and  fourteen.  Their 
names  were  held  sacred  as  martyrs  to  the 
Christian  faith  ;  but  many  read  in  their  un 
timely  fate  a  lesson  against  ambition  and  vain 
glory  ;  having  sacrificed  real  power  and  sub 
stantial  rule  to  the  glittering  bauble  of  a  crown. 

The  head  of  Abdalasis  was  embalmed  and 
inclosed  in  a  casket,  and  sent  to  Syria  to  the 
cruel  Suleiman.  The  messenger  who  bore  it 
overtook  the  caliph  as  he  was  performing  a 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  Muza  was  among  the 
courtiers  in  his  train,  having  been  released  from 
prison.  On  opening  the  casket  and  regarding 


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its  contents,  the  eyes  of  the  tyrant  sparkled 
with  malignant  satisfaction.  Calling  the  un 
happy  father  to  his  side,  "  Muza,"  said  he, 
' '  dost  thou  know  this  head  ?  ' '  The  veteran 
recognized  the  features  of  his  beloved  son,  and 
turned  his  face  away  with  anguish.  "Yes! 
well  do  I  know  it,"  replied  he  ;  "  and  may  the 
curse  of  God  light  upon  him  who  has  destroyed 
a  better  man  than  himself." 

Without  adding  another  word,  he  retired  to 
Mount  Deran,  a  prey  to  devouring  melancholy. 
He  shortly  after  received  tidings  of  the  death 
of  his  two  sons,  whom  he  had  left  in  the  gov 
ernment  of  western  Africa,  and  who  had  fallen 
victims  to  the  jealous  suspicions  of  the  caliph. 

His  advanced  age  was  not  proof  against  these 
repeated  blows  and  this  utter  ruin  of  his  late 
prosperous  family,  and  he  sank  into  his  grave 
sorrowing  and  broken-hearted. 

Such  was  the  lamentable  end  of  the  con 
queror  of  Spain  ;  whose  great  achievements 
were  not  sufficient  to  atone,  in  the  eye  of  his 
sovereign,  for  a  weakness  to  which  all  men 
ambitious  of  renown  are  subject ;  and  whose 
triumphs  eventually  brought  persecution  upon 
himself  and  untimely  death  upon  his  children. 

Here  ends  the  legend  of  the  Subjugation  of 
Spain. 


LEGEND 

OF 

COUNT  JULIAN  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


H7 


LEGEND 

OP 

COUNT  JULIAN  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


IN  the  preceding  legends  is  darkly  shadowed 
out  a  true  story  of  the  woes  of  Spain.     It 
is  a  story  full  of  wholesome  admonition, 
rebuking   the  insolence   of  human  pride 
and  the  vanity  of  human  ambition,  and  show 
ing  the   futility   of  all   greatness   that  is   not 
strongly  based  on  virtue.     We  have  seen,  in 
brief  space  of  time,  most  of  the  actors  in  this 
historic  drama  disappearing,  one  by  one,  from 
the  scene,  and  going  down,  conqueror  and  con 
quered,  to  gloomy  and  unhonored  graves.     It 
remains  to  close  this  eventful  history  by  hold 
ing  up,  as  a  signal  warning,  the  fate  of  the 
traitor  whose  perfidious  scheme  of  vengeance 
brought  ruin  on  his  native  land. 
119 


120  Spanteb  papers 


Maiiy  and  various  are  the  accounts  given  in 
ancient  chronicles  of  the  fortunes  of  Count 
Julian  and  his  family,  and  many  are  the  tradi 
tions  on  the  subject  still  extant  among  the 
populace  of  Spain,  and  perpetuated  in  those 
countless  ballads  sung  by  peasants  and  mule 
teers,  which  spread  a  singular  charm  over  the 
whole  of  this  romantic  land. 

He  who  has  travelled  in  Spain  in  the  true 
way  in  which  the  country  ought  to  be  trav 
elled, — sojourning  in  its  remote  provinces,  ram 
bling  among  the  rugged  defiles  and  secluded 
valleys  of  its  mountains,  and  making  himself 
familiar  with  the  people  in  their  out-of-the-way 
hamlets  and  rarely-visited  neighborhoods, — 
will  remember  many  a  group  of  travellers  and 
muleteers,  gathered  of  an  evening  around  the 
door  or  the  spacious  hearth  of  a  mountain 
venta,  wrapped  in  their  brown  cloaks,  and  lis 
tening  with  grave  and  profound  attention  to  the 
long  historic  ballad  of  some  rustic  troubadour, 
either  recited  with  the  true  ore  rotundo  and 
modulated  cadences  of  Spanish  elocution,  or 
chanted  to  the  tinkling  of  a  guitar.  In  this 
way  he  may  have  heard  the  doleful  end  of 
Count  Julian  and  his  family  recounted  in  tra 
ditionary  rhymes,  that  have  been  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation.  The  particu 
lars,  however,  of  the  following  wild  legend 


Count  Julian  anD  Ibis  tfamilg          121 

are  chiefly  gathered  from  the  writings  of  the 
pseudo-Moor  Rasis  ;  how  far  they  may  be 
safely  taken  as  historic  facts  it  is  impossible 
now  to  ascertain  ;  we  must  content  ourselves, 
therefore,  with  their  answering  to  the  exac 
tions  of  poetic  justice. 

As  yet  everything  had  prospered  with  Count 
Julian.  He  had  gratified  his  vengeance  ;  he 
had  been  successful  in  his  treason,  and  had  ac 
quired  countless  riches  from  the  ruin  of  his 
country.  But  it  is  not  outward  success  that 
constitutes  prosperity.  The  tree  flourishes  with 
fruit  and  foliage  while  blasted  and  withering 
at  the  heart.  Wherever  he  went,  Count  Julian 
read  hatred  in  every  eye.  The  Christians  cursed 
him  as  the  cause  of  all  their  woe  ;  the  Moslems 
despised  and  distrusted  him  as  a  traitor.  Men 
whispered  together  as  he  approached,  and  then 
turned  away  in  scorn  ;  and  mothers  snatched 
away  their  children  with  horror  if  he  offered  to 
caress  them.  He  withered  under  the  execra 
tion  of  his  fellow-men,  and  last,  and  worst  of 
all,  he  began  to  loathe  himself.  He  tried  in 
vain  to  persuade  himself  that  he  had  but  taken 
a  justifiable  vengeance  ;  he  felt  that  no  per 
sonal  wrong  can  justify  the  crime  of  treason  to 
one's  country. 

Fora  time  he  sought  in  luxurious  indulgence 
to  soothe  or  forget  the  miseries  of  the  mind. 


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He  assembled  round  him  every  pleasure  and 
gratification  that  boundless  wealth  could  pur 
chase,  but  all  in  vain.  He  had  no  relish  for 
the  dainties  of  his  board  ;  music  had  no  charm 
wherewith  to  lull  his  soul,  and  remorse  drove 
slumber  from  his  pillow.  He  sent  to  Ceuta  for 
his  wife  Frandina,  his  daughter  Florinda,  and 
his  youthful  son  Alarbot ;  hoping  in  the  bosom 
of  his  family  to  find  that  sympathy  and  kind 
ness  which  he  could  no  longer  meet  with  in 
this  world.  Their  presence,  however,  brought 
him  no  alleviation.  Florinda,  the  daughter  of 
his  heart,  for  whose  sake  he  had  undertaken 
this  signal  vengeance,  was  sinking  a  victim  to 
its  effects.  Wherever  she  went,  she  found  her 
self  a  byword  of  shame  and  reproach.  The 
outrage  she  had  suffered  was  imputed  to  her  as 
wantonness,  and  her  calamity  was  magnified 
into  a  crime.  The  Christians  never  mentioned 
her  name  without  a  curse,  and  the  Moslems, 
the  gainers  by  her  misfortunes,  spoke  of  her 
only  by  the  appellation  of  Cava,  the  vilest 
epithet  they  could  apply  to  woman. 

But  the  opprobrium  of  the  world  was  noth 
ing  to  the  upbraiding  of  her  own  heart.  She 
charged  herself  with  all  the  miseries  of  these 
disastrous  wars — the  deaths  of  so  many  gal 
lant  cavaliers,  the  conquest  and  perdition  of 
her  country.  The  anguish  of  her  mind  preyed 


Count  5ulian  anD  f>fs  ffamilB          123 

upon  the  beauty  of  her  person.  Her  eye,  once 
soft  and  tender  in  its  expression,  became  wild 
and  haggard  ;  her  cheek  lost  its  bloom,  and 
became  hollow  and  pallid,  and  at  times  there 
was  desperation  in  her  words.  When  her  father 
sought  to  embrace  her  she  withdrew  with  shud 
dering  from  his  arms,  for  she  thought  of  his 
treason  and  the  ruin  it  had  brought  upon 
Spain.  Her  wretchedness  increased  after  her 
return  to  her  native  country,  until  it  rose  to 
a  degree  of  frenzy.  One  day,  when  she  was 
walking  with  her  parents  in  the  garden  of 
their  palace,  she  entered  a  tower,  and  having 
barred  the  door,  ascended  to  the  battlements. 
From  thence  she  called  to  them  in  piercing 
accents,  expressive  of  her  insupportable  an 
guish  and  desperate  determination  :  ' '  Let  this 
city,"  said  she,  "  be  henceforth  called  Malacca, 
in  memorial  of  the  most  wretched  of  women, 
who  therein  put  an  end  to  her  days."  So  say 
ing,  she  threw  herself  headlong  from  the 
tower,  and  was  dashed  to  pieces.  The  city, 
adds  the  ancient  chronicler,  received  the  name 
thus  given  it,  though  afterwards  softened  to 
Malaga,  which  it  still  retains  in  memory  of  the 
tragical  end  of  Florinda. 

The  Countess  Frandina  abandoned  this  scene 
of  woe,  and  returned  to  Ceuta,  accompanied 
by  her  infant  son.  She  took  with  her  the  re- 


124  Spanisb  papers 


mains  of  her  unfortunate  daughter,  and  gave 
them  honorable  sepulture  in  a  mausoleum  of 
the  chapel  belonging  to  the  citadel.  Count 
Julian  departed  for  Carthagena,  where  he  re 
mained  plunged  in  horror  at  this  doleful  event. 

About  this  time,  the  cruel  Suleiman,  having 
destroyed  the  family  of  Muza,  had  sent  an 
Arab  general,  named  Alahor,  to  succeed  Abda- 
lasis  as  emir  or  governor  of  Spain.  The  new 
emir  was  of  a  cruel  and  suspicious  nature,  and 
commenced  his  sway  with  a  stern  severity  that 
soon  made  those  under  his  command  look  back 
with  regret  to  the  easy  rule  of  Abdalasis.  He 
regarded  with  an  eye  of  distrust  the  renegado 
Christians  who  had  aided  in  the  conquest,  and 
who  bore  arms  in  the  service  of  the  Moslems  ; 
but  his  deepest  suspicions  fell  upon  Count 
Julian.  "He  has  been  a  traitor  to  his  own 
countrymen,"  said  he  ;  "how  can  we  be  sure 
that  he  will  not  prove  traitor  to  us  ?  " 

A  sudden  insurrection  of  the  Christians  who 
had  taken  refuge  in  the  Asturian  Mountains, 
quickened  his  suspicions,  and  inspired  him 
with  fears  of  some  dangerous  conspiracy  against 
his  power.  In  the  height  of  his  anxiety,  he 
bethought  him  of  an  Arabian  sage  named 
Yuza,  who  had  accompanied  him  from  Africa. 
This  son  of  science  was  withered  in  form,  and 
looked  as  if  he  had  outlived  the  usual  term  of 


Count  Julian  and  Ibis  ffamitE          125 


mortal  life.  In  the  course  of  his  studies  and 
travels  in  the  East,  he  had  collected  the  knowl 
edge  and  experience  of  ages  ;  being  skilled  in 
astrology,  and,  it  is  said,  in  necromancy,  and 
possessing  the  marvellous  gift  of  prophecy  or 
divination.  To  this  expounder  of  mysteries 
Alahor  applied  to  learn  whether  any  secret 
treason  menaced  his  safety. 

The  astrologer  listened  with  deep  attention 
and  overwhelming  brow  to  all  the  surmises 
and  suspicions  of  the  emir,  then  shut  himself 
up  to  consult  his  books  and  commune  with 
those  supernatural  intelligences  subservient  to 
his  wisdom.  At  an  appointed  hour  the  emir 
sought  him  in  his  cell.  It  was  filled  with  the 
smoke  of  perfumes  ;  squares  and  circles  and 
various  diagrams  were  described  upon  the 
floor,  and  the  astrologer  was  poring  over  a 
scroll  of  parchment,  covered  with  cabalistic 
characters.  He  received  Alahor  with  a  gloomy 
and  sinister  aspect ;  pretending  to  have  dis 
covered  fearful  portents  in  the  heavens,  and  to 
have  had  strange  dreams  and  mystic  visions. 

"O  emir,"  said  he,  "  be  on  your  guard! 
treason  is  around  you  and  in  your  path  ;  your 
life  is  in  peril.  Beware  of  Count  Julian  and  his 
family. ' ' 

"  Enough,"  said  the  emir.  "  They  shall  all 
die  !  Parents  and  children — all  shall  die  !  " 


126  Spanisb  jpapers 


He  forthwith  sent  a  summons  to  Count 
Julian  to  attend  him  in  Cordova.  The  mes 
senger  found  him  plunged  in  affliction  for  the 
recent  death  of  his  daughter.  The  count  ex 
cused  himself,  on  account  of  this  misfortune, 
from  obeying  the  commands  of  the  emir  in 
person,  but  sent  several  of  his  adherents.  His 
hesitation,  and  the  circumstance  of  his  having 
sent  his  family  across  the  straits  to  Africa,  were 
construed  by  the  jealous  mind  of  the  emir  into 
proofs  of  guilt.  He  no  longer  doubted  his  be 
ing  concerned  in  the  recent  insurrections,  and 
that  he  had  sent  his  family  away  preparatory 
to  an  attempt,  by  force  of  arms,  to  subvert  the 
Moslem  domination.  In  his  fury  he  put  to 
death  Siseburto  and  Evan,  the  nephews  of 
Bishop  Oppas  and  sons  of  the  former  king, 
Witiza,  suspecting  them  of  taking  part  in  the 
treason.  Thus  did  they  expiate  their  treachery 
to  their  country  in  the  fatal  battle  of  the  Gua- 
dalete. 

Alahor  next  hastened  to  Carthagena  to  seize 
upon  Count  Julian.  So  rapid  were  his  move 
ments  that  the  count  had  barely  time  to  escape 
with  fifteen  cavaliers,  with  whom  he  took 
refuge  in  the  strong  castle  of  Marcuello, 
among  the  mountains  of  Aragon.  The  emir, 
enraged  to  be  disappointed  of  his  prey,  em 
barked  at  Carthagena  and  crossed  the  straits  to 


Count  Sultan  anD  Ibis  tfamilg          127 


Ceuta,  to  make  captives  of  the  Countess  Fran- 
dina  and  her  son. 

The  old  chronicle  from  which  we  take  this 
part  of  our  legend,  presents  a  gloomy  picture 
of  the  countess  in  the  stern  fortress  to  which 
she  had  fled  for  refuge — a  picture  heightened 
by  supernatural  horrors.  These  latter  the 
sagacious  reader  will  admit  or  reject  according 
to  the  measure  of  his  faith  and  judgment  ; 
always  remembering  that  in  dark  and  eventful 
times,  like  those  in  question,  involving  the 
destinies  of  nations,  the  downfall  of  kingdoms, 
and  the  crimes  of  rulers  and  mighty  men,  the 
hand  of  fate  is  sometimes  strangely  visible,  and 
confounds  the  wisdom  of  the  worldly  wi.se  by 
intimations  and  portents  above  the  ordinary 
course  of  things.  With  this  proviso,  we  make 
no  scruple  to  follow  the  venerable  chronicler  in 
his  narration. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  Countess  Fran- 
dina  was  seated  late  at  night  in  her  chamber, 
in  the  citadel  of  Ceuta,  which  stands  on  a  lofty 
rock,  overlooking  the  sea.  She  was  revolving 
in  gloomy  thought  the  late  disasters  of  her 
family,  when  she  heard  a  mournful  noise  like 
that  of  the  sea-breeze  moaning  about  the 
castle  walls.  Raising  her  eyes,  she  beheld  her 
brother,  the  Bishop  Oppas,  at  the  entrance  of 
the  chamber.  She  advanced  to  embrace  him 


Spanisb  papers 


but  he  forbade  her  with  a  motion  of  his  hand, 
and  she  observed  that  he  was  ghastly  pale,  and 
that  his  eyes  glared  as  with  lambent  flames. 

"Touch  me  not,  sister,"  said  he,  with  a 
mournful  voice,  ' '  lest  thou  be  consumed  by  the 
fire  which  rages  within  me.  Guard  well  thy 
son,  for  bloodhounds  are  upon  his  track.  His 
innocence  might  have  secured  him  the  protec 
tion  of  Heaven,  but  our  crimes  have  involved 
him  in  our  common  ruin."  He  ceased  to 
speak,  and  was  no  longer  to  be  seen.  His 
coming  and  going  were  alike  without  noise, 
and  the  door  of  the  chamber  remained  fast 
bolted. 

On  the  following  morning  a  messenger  ar 
rived  with  tidings  that  the  Bishop  Oppas  had 
been  made  prisoner  in  battle  by  the  insurgent 
Christians  of  the  Asturias,  and  had  died  in  fet 
ters  in  a  tower  of  the  mountans.  The  same 
messenger  brought  word  that  the  Emir  Alahor 
had  put  to  death  several  of  the  friends  of  Count 
Julian  ;  and  obliged  him  to  fly  for  his  life  to  a 
castle  in  Aragon,  and  was  embarking  with  a 
formidable  force  for  Ceuta. 

The  Countess  Frandina,  as  has  already  been 
shown,  was  of  courageous  heart,  and  danger 
made  her  desperate.  There  were  fifty  Moorish 
soldiers  in  the  garrison  ;  she  feared  that  they 
would  prove  treacherous,  and  take  part  with 


Count  Julian  anD  1bte  jfamil^          129 

their  countrymen.  Summoning  her  officers, 
therefore,  she  informed  them  of  their  danger, 
and  commanded  them  to  put  those  Moors  to 
death.  The  guards  sallied  forth  to  obey  her 
orders.  Thirty-five  of  the  Moors  were  in  the 
great  square,  unsuspicious  of  any  danger,  when 
they  were  severally  singled  out  by  their  exe 
cutioners,  and,  at  a  concerted  signal,  killed  on 
the  spot.  The  remaining  fifteen  took  refuge  in 
a  tower.  They  saw  the  armada  of  the  emir  at 
a  distance,  and  hoped  to  be  able  to  hold  out  un 
til  its  arrival.  The  soldiers  of  the  countess  saw 
it  also,  and  made  extraordinary  efforts  to  de 
stroy  these  internal  enemies  before  they  should 
be  attacked  from  without.  They  made  repeated 
attempts  to  storm  the  tower,  but  wrere  as  often 
repulsed  with  severe  loss.  They  then  under 
mined  it,  supporting  its  foundations  by  stan 
chions  of  wood.  To  these  they  set  fire,  and 
withdrew  to  a  distance,  keeping  up  a  constant 
shower  of  missiles  to  prevent  the  Moors  from 
sallying  forth  to  extinguish  the  flames.  The 
stanchions  were  rapidly  consumed,  and  when 
they  gave  way  the  tower  fell  to  the  ground. 
Some  of  the  Moors  were  crushed  among  the 
ruins  ;  others  were  flung  to  a  distance  and 
dashed  among  the  rocks  ;  those  who  survived 
were  instantly  put  to  the  sword. 

The  fleet  of  the  emir  arrived  at  Ceuta  about 

9 


130  Spanfsb  papers 


the  hour  of  vespers.  He  landed,  but  found  the 
gates  closed  against  him.  The  countess  her 
self  spoke  to  him  from  a  tower,  and  set  him  at 
defiance.  The  emir  immediately  laid  siege  to 
the  city.  He  consulted  the  astrologer  Yuza, 
who  told  him  that  for  seven  days  his  star  would 
have  the  ascendant  over  that  of  the  youth  Alar- 
bot,  but  after  that  time  the  youth  would  be  safe 
from  his  power,  and  would  effect  his  ruin. 

Alahor  immediately  ordered  the  city  to  be 
assailed  on  every  side,  and  at  length  carried  it 
by  storm.  The  countess  took  refuge  with  her 
forces  in  the  citadel,  and  made  desperate  de 
fense  :  but  the  walls  were  sapped  and  mined, 
and  she  saw  that  all  resistance  would  soon  be 
unavailing.  Her  only  thoughts  now  were  to 
conceal  her  child.  "Surely,"  said  she,  "  they 
will  not  think  of  seeking  him  among  the  dead. ' ' 
She  led  him,  therefore,  into  the  dark  and  dis 
mal  chapel.  ' '  Thou  art  not  afraid  to  be 
alone  in  this  darkness,  my  child?  "  said  she. 

' '  No,  mother, ' '  replied  the  boy  ;  ' '  darkness 
gives  silence  and  sleep. ' '  She  conducted  him 
to  the  tomb  of  Florinda.  "  Fearest  thou  the 
dead,  my  child?  "  "  No,  mother  ;  the  dead  can 
do  no  harm,  and  what  should  I  fear  from  my 
sister  ? ' ' 

The  countess  opened  the  sepulchre.  "  Listen, 
my  son,"  said  she.  "There  are  fierce  and 


Count  5ulfan  anD  1bi0  Tamils          131 

cruel  people  who  have  come  hither  to  murder 
thee.  Stay  here  in  company  with  thy  sister, 
and  be  quiet  as  thou  dost  value  thy  life  !  "  The 
boy,  who  was  of  a  courageous  nature,  did  as 
he  was  bidden,  and  remained  there  all  that  day, 
and  all  the  night,  and  the  next  day  until  the 
third  hour. 

In  the  meantime  the  walls  of  the  citadel 
were  sapped,  the  troops  of  the  emir  poured  in 
at  the  breach,  and  a  great  part  of  the  garrison 
was  put  to  the  sword.  The  countess  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  brought  before  the  emir.  She 
appeared  in  his  presence  with  a  haughty  de 
meanor,  as  if  she  had  been  a  queen  receiving 
homage  ;  but  when  he  demanded  her  son,  she 
faltered  and  turned  pale,  and  replied  :  "  My  son 
is  with  the  dead." 

"  Countess,"  said  the  emir,  "  I  am  not  to  be 
deceived  ;  tell  me  where  you  have  concealed  the 
boy,  or  tortures  shall  wring  from  you  the 
secret." 

"Emir,"  replied  the  countess,  "may  the 
greatest  torments  be  my  portion,  both  here  and 
hereafter,  if  what  I  speak  be  not  the  truth. 
My  darling  child  lies  buried  with  the  dead." 

The  emir  was  confounded  by  the  solemnity 
of  her  words  ;  but  the  withered  astrologer 
Yuza,  who  stood  by  his  side  regarding  the 
countess  from  beneath  his  bushed  eyebrows, 


132  Spanlsb  {papers 


perceived  trouble  in  her  countenance  and 
equivocation  in  her  words.  ' '  L,eave  this  mat 
ter  to  me, ' '  whispered  he  to  Alahor  ;  ' '  I  will 
produce  the  child. ' ' 

He  ordered  strict  search  to  be  made  by  the 
soldiery,  and  he  obliged  the  countess  to  be  al 
ways  present.  When  they  came  to  the  chapel, 
her  cheek  turned  pale  and  her  lip  quivered. 
"This,"  said  the  subtile  astrologer,  "is  the 
place  of  concealment  !  " 

The  search  throughout  the  chapel,  however, 
was  equally  vain,  and  the  soldiers  were  about 
to  depart,  when  Yuza  remarked  a  slight  gleam 
of  joy  in  the  eye  of  the  countess.  "We  are 
leaving  our  prey  behind,"  thought  he;  "the 
countess  is  exulting." 

He  now  called  to  mind  the  words  of  her  as 
severation,  that  her  child  was  with  the  dead. 
Turning  suddenly  to  the  soldiers,  he  ordered 
them  to  search  the  sepulchres.  "If  you  find 
him  not, ' '  said  he,  ' '  drag  forth  the  bones  of 
that  wanton  Cava,  that  they  may  be  burned, 
and  the  ashes  scattered  to  the  winds. ' ' 

The  soldiers  searched  among  the  tombs,  and 
found  that  of  Florinda  partly  open.  Within 
lay  the  boy  in  the  sound  sleep  of  childhood, 
and  one  of  the  soldiers  took  him  gently  in  his 
arms  to  bear  him  to  the  emir. 

When  the   countess  beheld  that  her  child 


Count  Julian  anfc  Ibis  3famit£          133 

was  discovered,  she  rushed  into  the  presence 
of  Alahor,  and,  forgetting  all  her  pride,  threw 
herself  upon  her  knees  before  him. 

* '  Mercy  !  mercy  ! ' '  cried  she,  in  piercing 
accents,  "mercy  on  my  son — my  only  child  ! 
O  emir  !  listen  to  a  mother's  prayer,  and  my  lips 
shall  kiss  thy  feet.  As  thou  art  merciful  to  him, 
so  may  the  most  high  God  have  mercy  upon 
thee,  and  heap  blessings  on  thy  head." 

"  Bear  that  frantic  woman  hence,"  said  the 
emir,  "  but  guard  her  well." 

The  countess  was  dragged  away  by  the  sol 
diery,  without  regard  to  her  struggles  and  her 
cries,  and  confined  in  a  dungeon  of  the  citadel. 

The  child  was  now  brought  to  the  emir. 
He  had  been  awakened  by  the  tumult,  but 
gazed  fearlessly  on  the  stern  countenances  of 
the  soldiers.  Had  the  heart  of  the  emir  been 
capable  of  pity,  it  would  have  been  touched 
by  the  tender  youth  and  innocent  beauty  of 
the  child ;  but  his  heart  was  as  the  nether 
millstone,  and  he  was  bent  upon  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  whole  family  of  Julian.  Calling 
to  him  the  astrologer,  he  gave  the  child  into 
his  charge  with  a  secret  command.  The  with 
ered  son  of  the  desert  took  the  boy  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  up  the  winding  staircase  of 
a  tower.  When  they  reached  the  summit, 
Yuza  placed  him  on  the  battlements. 


134  5panf6b  papers 


1 1  Cling  not  to  me  my  child,"  said  he  ; 
"  there  is  no  danger."  "  Father,  I  fear  not," 
said  the  undaunted  boy  ;  '  *  yet  it  is  a  wondrous 
height!" 

The  child  looked  around  with  delighted 
eyes.  The  breeze  blew  his  curling  locks  about 
his  face,  and  his  cheek  glowed  at  the  bound 
less  prospect ;  for  the  tower  was  reared  upon 
that  lofty  promontory  on  which  Hercules 
founded  one  of  his  pillars.  The  surges  of  the 
sea  were  heard  far  below,  beating  upon  the 
rocks,  the  sea-gull  screamed  and  wheeled  about 
the  foundations  of  the  tower,  and  the  sails  of 
lofty  caraccas  were  as  mere  specks  on  the 
bosom  of  the  deep. 

4 '  Dost  thou  know  yonder  land  beyond  the 
blue  water  ?  * '  said  Yuza. 

"It  is  Spain,"  replied  the  boy;  "it  is  the 
land  of  my  father  and  my  mother. ' ' 

'  *  Then  stretch  forth  thy  hands  and  bless  it, 
my  child,"  said  the  astrologer. 

The  boy  let  go  his  hold  of  the  wall ;  and,  as 
he  stretched  forth  his  hands,  the  aged  son  of 
Ishmael,  exerting  all  the  strength  of  his  with 
ered  limbs,  suddenly  pushed  him  over  the 
battlements.  He  fell  headlong  from  the  top 
of  that  tall  tower,  and  not  a  bone  in  his  tender 
frame  but  what  was  crushed  upon  the  rocks 
beneath. 


Count  Julian  anD  1bte  jfamUg          135 

Alahor  came  to  the  foot  of  the  winding  stairs. 

"  Is  the  boy  safe?  "  cried  he. 

* '  He  is  safe, ' '  replied  Yuza  ;  ' '  come  and 
behold  the  truth  with  thine  own  eyes." 

The  emir  ascended  the  tower  and  looked 
over  the  battlements,  and  beheld  the  body  of 
the  child,  a  shapeless  mass  on  the  rocks  far 
below,  and  the  sea-gulls  hovering  about  it ; 
and  he  gave  orders  that  it  should  be  thrown 
into  the  sea,  which  was  done. 

On  the  following  morning  the  countess  was 
led  forth  from  her  dungeon  into  the  public 
square.  She  knew  that  her  own  death  was  at 
hand,  but  she  neither  wept  nor  supplicated. 
Her  hair  was  dishevelled,  her  eyes  were  hag 
gard  with  watching,  and  her  cheek  was  as  the 
monumental  stone  ;  but  there  were  the  remains 
of  commanding  beauty  in  her  countenance,  and 
the  majesty  of  her  presence  awed  even  the 
rabble  into  respect. 

A  multitude  of  Christian  prisoners  were  then 
brought  forth,  and  Alahor  cried  out:  "  Be 
hold  the  wife  of  Count  Julian  !  behold  one  of 
that  traitorous  family  which  has  brought  ruin 
upon  yourselves  and  upon  your  country  ! ' ' 
And  he  ordered  that  they  should  stone  her  to 
death.  But  the  Christians  drew  back  with 
horror  from  the  deed,  and  said:  "  In  the  hands 
of  God  is  vengeance  ;  let  not  her  blood  be 


136  Spantsb  papers 


upon  our  heads."  Upon  this  the  emir  swore 
with  horrid  imprecations  that  whoever  of  the 
captives  refused  should  himself  be  stoned  to 
death.  So  the  cruel  order  was  executed,  and 
the  Countess  Frandina  perished  by  the  hands 
of  her  countrymen.  Having  thus  accomplished 
his  barbarous  errand,  the  emir  embarked  for 
Spain,  and  ordered  the  citadel  of  Ceuta  to  be 
set  on  fire,  and  crossed  the  straits  at  night  by 
the  light  of  its  towering  flames. 

The  death  of  Count  Julian,  which  took 
place  not  long  after,  closed  the  tragic  story  of 
his  family.  How  he  died  remains  involved  in 
doubt.  Some  assert  that  the  cruel  Alahor  pur 
sued  him  to  his  retreat  among  the  mountains, 
and,  having  taken  him  prisoner,  beheaded  him; 
others  that  the  Moors  confined  him  in  a  dun 
geon,  and  put  an  end  to  his  life  with  lingering 
torments ;  while  others  affirm  that  the  tower 
of  the  castle  of  Marcuello,  near  Huesca,  in 
Aragon,  in  which  he  took  refuge,  fell  on  him 
and  crushed  him  to  pieces.  All  agree  that  his 
latter  end  was  miserable  in  the  extreme  and 
his  death  violent.  The  curse  of  Heaven,  which 
had  thus  pursued  him  to  the  grave,  was  ex 
tended  to  the  very  place  which  had  given  him 
shelter ;  for  we  are  told  that  the  castle  is  no 
longer  inhabited  on  account  of  the  strange  and 
horrible  noises  that  are  heard  in  it ;  and  that 


Count  Julian  anD  Ibis  JFamflB          137 

visions  of  armed  men  are  seen  above  it  in  the 
air;  which  are  supposed  to  be  the  troubled 
spirits  of  the  apostate  Christians  who  favored 
the  cause  of  the  traitor. 

In  after  times  a  stone  sepulchre  was  shown, 
outside  of  the  chapel  of  the  castle,  as  the  tomb 
of  Count  Julian  ;  but  the  traveller  and  the 
pilgrim  avoided  it,  or  bestowed  upon  it  a  male 
diction  ;  and  the  name  of  Julian  has  remained 
a  byword  and  a  scorn  in  the  land  for  the  warn 
ing  of  all  generations.  Such  ever  be  the  lot 
of  him  who  betrays  his  country. 

Here  end  the  legends  of  the  Conquest  of 
Spain. 

WRITTEN  IN  THE  AI/HAMBRA,  June  10,  1829. 


NOTE  TO  THE  PRECEDING  LEGEND. 

El/  licenciado  Arde vines  (lib.  2,  c.  8)  dize  que  dichos 
Duendos  caseros,  o  los  del  aire,  hazen  aparacer  exer- 
citos  y  peleas,  como  lo  que  se  cuenta  por  tradicion  (y 
aun  algunos  personas  lo  deponen  como  testigos  de 
vista)  de  la  torre  y  castello  de  Marcuello,  lugar  al  pie 
de  las  montanas  de  Aragon  (aora  inhabitable,  por  las 
grandes  y  espan tables  ruidos,  que  en  el  se  oyen)  donde 
se  retraxo  el  Conde  Don  Julian,  causa  de  la  perdicion  de 
Espana  ;  sobre  el  qual  Castillo,  deze  se  ven  en  el  aire 
ciertas  visiones,  como  de  soldados,  que  el  vulgo  dize 
son  los  cavalleros  y  gente  que  le  favorecian. 


138  Spanisb  papers 


Vide  "  Bl  Ente  Dislucidado,"  por  Fray  Antonio  de 
Fuentalapcna,  Capuchin.  Seccion  3,  Subseccion  5, 
Instancia  8,  Num.  644. 

As  readers  unversed  in  the  Spanish  language  may 
wish  to  know  the  testimony  of  the  worthy  and  discreet 
Capuchin  friar,  Antonio  de  Fuentalapena,  we  subjoin 
a  translation  of  it  : 

"The  licentiate  Ardevines  (book  ii.,  chap.  8)  says 
that  the  said  house  fairies  (or  familiar  spirits),  or  those 
of  the  air,  caused  the  apparitions  of  armies  and 
battles, — such  as  those  which  are  related  in  tradition 
(and  some  persons  even  depose  to  the  truth  of  them 
as  eye-witnesses)  of  the  town  and  castle  of  Marcuello, 
a  fortress  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of  Aragon  (at 
present  uninhabitable,  on  account  of  the  great  and 
frightful  noises  heard  in  it),  the  place  of  retreat  of 
Count  Don  Julian,  the  cause  of  the  perdition  of  Spain. 
It  is  said  that  certain  apparitions  of  soldiers  are  seen 
in  the  air,  which  the  vulgar  say  are  those  of  the 
courtiers  and  people  who  aided  him." 


* 


CHRONICLE 


OF 


FERNAN   GONZALEZ, 

COUNT  OF  CASTILE. 


139 


CHRONICLE 

OF 

FERNAN   GONZALEZ, 

COUNT  OF  CASTILE. 

introduction* 

AT  the  time  of  the  general  wreck  of  Spain 
by  the  sudden  tempest  of  Arab  inva 
sion,   many   of  the  inhabitants    took 
refuge  in  the  mountains  of  the  Astu- 
rias,  burying   themselves   in   narrow    valleys 
difficult  of  access,  wherever  a  constant  stream 
of  water  afforded  a  green  bosom  of  pasture- 
land   and  scanty   fields  for  cultivation.     For 
mutual  protection  they  gathered   together  in 
small  villages  called  castros,  or  castrellos,  with 
watch-towers  and  fortresses  on  impending  cliffs, 
in  which  they  might  shelter  and  defend  them- 
141 


142  Spanfsb  papers 


selves  in  case  of  sudden  inroad.  Thus  arose 
the  kingdom  of  the  Asturias,  subject  to  Pelayo 
and  the  kings  his  successors,  who  gradually 
extended  their  dominions,  built  towns  and 
cities,  and  after  a  time  fixed  their  seat  of 
government  at  the  city  of  Leon. 

An  important  part  of  the  region  over  which 
they  bore  sway  was  ancient  Cantabria,  extend 
ing  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay  to  the  Duero,  and 
called  Castile  from  the  number  of  castles  with 
which  it  was  studded.  They  divided  it  into 
seigniories,  over  which  they  placed  civil  and 
military  governors  called  counts — a  title  said 
to  be  derived  from  the  Latin  comes,  a  com 
panion,  the  person  enjoying  it  being  admitted 
to  the  familiar  companionship  of  the  king, 
entering  into  his  councils  in  time  of  peace, 
and  accompanying  him  to  the  field  in  time  of 
war.  The  title  of  count  was,  therefore,  more 
dignified  than  that  of  duke  in  the  time  of  the 
Gothic  kings. 

The  power  of  these  counts  increased  to  such  a 
degree  that  four  of  them  formed  a  league  to 
declare  themselves  independent  of  the  crown 
of  Leon.  Ordofio  II.,  who  was  then  the  king, 
received  notice  of  it,  and  got  them  into  his 
power  by  force,  as  some  assert,  but  as  others 
maintain,  by  perfidious  artifice.  At  any  rate, 
they  were  brought  to  court,  convicted  of 


tfernan  <5ott3ale3  143 


treason,  and  publicly  beheaded.  The  Castil- 
ians  flew  to  arms  to  revenge  their  deaths. 
Ordofio  took  the  field  with  a  powerful  army, 
but  his  own  death  defeated  all  his  plans. 

The  Castilians  now  threw  off  allegiance  to 
the  kingdom  of  I^eon,  and  elected  two  judges 
to  rule  over  them — one  in  a  civil,  the  other  in 
a  military  capacity.  The  first  who  filled  those 
stations  were  Nuno  Rasura  and  I^ain  Calvo, 
two  powerful  nobles,  the  former  descended 
from  Diego  Porcello,  a  count  of  Lara  ;  the 
latter,  ancestor  of  the  renowned  Cid  Cam- 
peador. 

Nuna  Rasura,  the  civil  and  political  judge, 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Gonzalez  Nuno,  who 
married  Dona  Ximena,  a  daughter  of  one  of 
the  counts  of  Castile  put  to  death  by  Ordofio 
II.  From  this  marriage  came  Fernan  Gonza 
lez,  the  subject  of  the  following  chronicle. 


Cbapter  f . 

Installation  of  Fern  an  Gonzalez  as  Count  of  Castile— 
His  First  Campaign  against  the  Moors — Victory  of 
San  Quirce — How  the  Count  Disposed  of  the  Spoils. 

THE    renowned    Fernan    Gonzalez,    the 
most  complete  hero  of  his  time,  was 
born  about  the  year  887.     Historians 
trace  his  descent  to  Nutio  Belchidez, 
nephew  of   the   Bmperor    Charlemagne,    and 
Dona  Sula  Bella,  granddaughter  of  the  prince 
Don  Sancho,  rightful  sovereign  of  Spain,  but 
superseded  by  Roderick,  the  last  of  the  Gothic 
kings. 

Fernan  Gonzalez  was  hardily  educated  among 
the  mountains  in  a  strong  place  called  Maron, 
in  the  house  of  Martin  Gonzalez,  a  gallant  and 
veteran  cavalier.  From  his  earliest  years  he 
was  inured  to  all  kinds  of  toils  and  perils, 
taught  to  hunt,  to  hawk,  to  ride  the  great 
horse,  to  manage  sword,  lance,  and  buckler  ; 
144 


3fernan  Gonsales  145 


in  a  word,  he  was  accomplished  in  all  the 
noble  exercises  befitting  a  cavalier. 

His  father,  Gonzalvo  Nunez,  died  in  903,  and 
his  elder  brother,  Rodrigo,  in  904,  without 
issue  ;  and  such  was  the  admiration  already 
entertained  of  Fernan  Gonzalez  by  the  hardy 
mountaineers  and  old  Castilian  warriors,  that 
though  scarce  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  was 
unanimously  elected  to  rule  over  them.  His 
title  is  said  to  have  been  Count,  Duke,  and 
Consul,  under  the  seigniory  of  Alonzo  the 
Great,  King  of  Leon.  A  cortes,  or  assemblage 
of  the  nobility  and  chivalry  of  Castile  and  of 
the  mountains,  met  together  at  the  recently 
built  city  of  Burgos  to  do  honor  to  his  installa 
tion.  Sebastian,  the  renowned  Bishop  of  Oca, 
officiated. 

In  those  stern  days  of  Spain,  the  situation 
of  a  sovereign  was  not  that  of  silken  ease  and 
idle  ceremonial.  When  he  put  the  rich  crown 
upon  his  head,  he  encircled  it  likewise  with 
shining  steel.  With  the  sceptre  were  united 
the  lance  and  shield,  emblems  of  perpetual 
war  against  the  enemies  of  the  faith.  The 
cortes  took  this  occasion  to  pass  the  following 
laws  for  the  goverment  of  the  realm  : 

i.  Above  all  things  the  people  should  ob 
serve  the  law  of  God,  the  canons  and  statutes 
of  the  holy  fathers,  the  liberty  and  privileges 

10 


146  spantsb  papers 


of  the  Church,  and  the  respect  due  to  its  min 
isters. 

2.  No  person  should  prosecute  another  out 
of  Castile  at  any  tribunal  of  justice  or  of  arms, 
under  pain  of  being  considered  a  stranger. 

3.  All  Jews  and  Moors  who  refused  to  ac 
knowledge  the  Christian  faith  should  depart 
from  Castile  within  two  months. 

4.  That  cavaliers  of  noble  blood  should  treat 
their  tenants  and  vassals  with  love  and  gentle 
ness. 

5.  That  he  who  slew  another,  or  committed 
any  other  grave  offense,  should   make  equal 
measure  of  atonement. 

6.  That  no  one  should  take  the  property  of 
another  ;  but,  if  oppressed  by  poverty,  should 
coine  to  the  count,   who  ought  to  be  as  a 
father  to  all. 

7.  That  all   should    unite   and   be   of    one 
heart,  and  aid  one  another  in  defense  of  their 
faith  and  of  their  country. 

Such  were  the  ordinances  of  the  ancient 
Cortes  of  Burgos  ;  brief  and  simple,  and  easy 
to  be  understood ;  not,  as  at  the  present  day, 
multifarious  and  perplexed,  to  the  confusion 
and  ruin  of  clients  and  the  enrichment  of 
lawyers. 

Scarce  was  the  installation  ended,  and  while 
Burgos  was  yet  abandoned  to  festivity,  ere  the 


tfernan  <5on3ale3  147 


young  count,  with  the  impatient  ardor  of 
youth,  caused  the  trumpets  to  sound  through 
the  streets  a  call  to  arms.  A  captain  of  the 
Moorish  king  of  Toledo  was  ravaging  the 
territory  of  Castile  at  the  head  of  seven  thou 
sand  troops,  and  against  him  the  youthful  count 
determined  to  make  his  first  campaign.  In 
the  spur  of  the  moment  but  one  hundred  horse 
men  and  fifteen  hundred  foot-soldiers  could  be 
collected  ;  but  with  this  slender  force  the 
count  prepared  to  take  the  field.  Ruy  Velaz 
quez,  a  valiant  cavalier,  remonstrated  against 
such  rashness,  but  in  vain.  "I  owe,"  said 
the  count,  "a  death  to  the  grave;  the  debt 
can  never  be  paid  so  honorably  as  in  the  service 
of  God  and  my  country.  I,et  every  one,  there 
fore,  address  himself  heart  and  hand  to  this 
enterprise  ;  for  if  I  come  face  to  face  with  this 
Moor,  I  will  most  assuredly  give  him  battle." 
So  saying,  he  knelt  before  Bishop  Sebastian 
of  Salamanca  and  craved  his  benediction. 
The  reverend  prelate  invoked  on  his  head  the 
blessing  and  protection  of  Heaven,  for  his 
heart  yearned  toward  him  ;  but  when  he  saw  the 
youthful  warrior  about  to  depart,  he  kindled, 
as  it  were,  with  a  holy  martial  fire,  and  order 
ing  his  steed  to  be  saddled  he  sallied  forth 
with  him  to  the  wars. 

The  little  army  soon  came  upon  traces  of  the 


148  Spanteb  papers 


enemy  in  fields  laid  waste,  and  the  smoking 
ruins  of  villages  and  hamlets.  The  count 
sent  out  scouts  to  clamber  every  height  and 
explore  every  defile.  From  the  summit  of  a 
hill  they  beheld  the  Moors  encamped  in  a 
valley  which  was  covered  with  the  flocks  and 
herds  swept  from  the  neighboring  country. 
The  camp  of  the  marauders  was  formidable 
as  to  numbers,  with  various  standards  floating 
in  the  breeze  ;  for  in  this  foray  were  engaged 
the  Moorish  chiefs  of  Saragossa,  Denia,  and 
Seville,  together  with  many  valiant  Moslems 
who  had  crossed  the  straits  from  Africa  to 
share  in  what  they  considered  a  holy  enterprise. 
The  scouts  observed,  however,  that  the  most 
negligent  security  reigned  throughout  the 
camp  ;  some  reposing,  others  feasting  and 
revelling,  all  evidently  considering  themselves 
safe  from  any  attack. 

Upon  hearing  this  the  count  led  his  men 
secretly  and  silently  to  the  assault,  and  came 
upon  the  Moors  in  the  midst  of  their  revelry, 
before  they  had  time  to  buckle  on  their  armor. 
The  infidels,  however,  made  a  brave  though 
confused  resistance ;  the  camp  was  strewn 
with  their  dead  ;  many  were  taken  prisoners, 
and  the  rest  began  to  falter.  The  count  killed 
their  captain-general  with  his  own  hand,  in 
single  fight,  as  he  was  bravely  rallying  his 


jfcrnan  <3on3ale3  149 


troops.     Upon  seeing  him  fall,  the  Moors  threw 
down  their  weapons  and  fled. 

Immense  booty  was  found  in  the  Moorish 
camp, — partly  the  rich  arms  and  equipments 
of  the  infidel  warriors,  partly  the  plunder  of 
the  country.  An  ordinary  victor  would  have 
merely  shared  the  spoils  with  his  soldiery,  but 
the  count  was  as  pious  as  he  was  brave,  and, 
moreover,  had  by  his  side  the  venerable  Bishop 
of  Salamanca  as  counsellor.  Contenting  him 
self,  therefore,  with  distributing  one  third 
among  his  soldiery,  he  shared  the  rest  with 
God,  devoting  a  large  part  to  the  Church,  and 
to  the  relief  of  souls  in  purgatory — a  pious 
custom,  which  he  ever  after  observed.  He, 
moreover,  founded  a  church  on  the  field  of 
battle,  dedicated  to  St.  Quirce,  on  whose  festi 
val  (the  1 6th  July)  this  victory  was  obtained. 
To  this  church  was  subsequently  added  a  mon 
astery  where  a  worthy  fraternity  of  monks 
was  maintained  in  the  odor  of  sanctity,  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  this  victory.  All 
this  was  doubtless  owing  to  the  providential 
presence  of  the  good  bishop  on  this  occasion  ; 
and  this  is  one  instance  of  the  great  benefit 
derived  from  those  priests  and  monks  and 
other  purveyors  of  the  Church,  who  hovered 
about  the  Christian  camps  throughout  all  these 
wars  with  the  infidels. 


Cbapter  1F1L 

Of  the  Sally  from  Burgos  and  Surprise  of  the  Castle 
of  Ivara — Capitulation  of  the  Town — Visit  to  Alfonso 
the  Great,  King  of  Leon. 

COUNT    FERNAN    GONZALEZ    did 
not  remain  idle  after  the  victory  of 
San  Quirce.     There  was  at  this  time 
an  old  castle,  strong  but  much   bat 
tered  in  the  wars,    which   protected   a   small 
town,  the  remains  of  the  once  flourishing  city 
of  Lara.     It  was   the  ancient  domain   of  his 
family,  but  was  at  present  in  possession  of  the 
Moors.     In  sooth  it  had  repeatedly  been  taken 
and  retaken  ;  for  in  those  iron  days  no  castle 
or   fortress    remained   long   under    the   same 
masters.     One  year  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Christians  ;  the  next,  of  the  Moors.     Some  of 
these  castles,  with  their  dependent  towns,  were 
sacked,    burnt,    and   demolished  ;   others    re 
mained   silent    and    deserted,     their    original 
owners  fearing  to  reside  in  them  ;    and   their 
150 


ffernan  <3on3ale3  151 


ruined  towers  were  only  tenanted  by  bats  and 
owls  and  screaming  birds  of  prey.  Lara  had 
lain  for  a  time  in  ruins  after  being  captured 
by  the  Moors,  but  had  been  rebuilt  by  them 
with  diminished  grandeur,  and  they  had  a 
strong  garrison  in  the  castle,  whence  they 
sallied  forth  occasionally  to  ravage  the  lands 
of  the  Christians.  The  Moorish  chieftain  of 
Lara,  as  has  been  observed,  was  among  the 
associated  marauders  who  had  been  routed  in 
the  battle  of  San  Quirce  ;  and  the  Count  Fer- 
nan  Gonzalez  thought  this  a  favorable  time  to 
strike  for  the  recovery  of  his  family  domain, 
now  that  the  infidel  possessor  was  weakened 
by  defeat  and  could  receive  no  succor. 

Appointing  Rodrigo  Velasquez  and  the 
Count  Don  Vela  Alvarez  to  act  as  governors 
of  Castile  during  his  absence,  the  count  sallied 
forth  from  Burgos  with  a  brilliant  train  of 
chivalry.  Among  the  distinguished  cavaliers 
who  attended  him  were  Martin  Gonzalez,  Don 
Gustios  Gonzalez,  Don  Velasco,  and  Don  Lope 
de  Biscaya,  which  last  brought  a  goodly  band 
of  stout  Biscay ans.  The  alfarez,  or  standard- 
bearer,  was  Orbita  Velasquez,  who  had  dis 
tinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of  San  Quirce. 
He  bore  as  a  standard  a  great  cross  of  silver, 
which  shone  gloriously  in  front  of  the  host, 
and  is  preserved,  even  to  the  present  day,  in 


152  Spanteb  papers 


the  church  of  San  Pedro  de  Arlanza.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  noble  cavaliers,  well  mount 
ed,  with  many  esquires  and  pages  of  the  lance, 
and  three  thousand  foot-soldiers,  all  picked 
men,  formed  this  small  but  stout-hearted  army. 

The  count  led  his  troops  with  such  caution 
that  they  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lara 
without  being  discovered.  It  was  the  vigil  of 
St.  John  ;  the  country  was  wrapped  in  evening 
shadows,  and  the  count  was  enabled  to  ap 
proach  near  to  the  place  to  make  his  observa 
tions.  He  perceived  that  his  force  was  too 
inconsiderable  to  invest  the  town  and  fortress. 
Besides,  about  two  leagues  distant  was  the 
gaunt  and  rock-built  castle  of  Carazo,  a  pre 
sidio  or  stronghold  of  the  Moors,  whence  he 
might  be  attacked  in  the  rear,  should  he  linger 
before  the  fortress.  It  was  evident,  therefore, 
that  whatever  was  to  be  effected  must  be  done 
promptly  and  by  sudden  surprise.  Revolving 
these  things  in  his  mind  he  put  his  troops  in 
ambush  in  a  deep  ravine  where  they  took  their 
rest,  while  he  kept  watch  upon  the  castle ; 
maturing  his  plans  against  the  morrow.  In 
this  way  he  passed  his  midsummer's  night,' 
the  vigil  of  the  blessed  St.  John. 

The  festival  of  St.  John  is  observed  as  well 
by  Mahometans  as  Christians.  During  the 
night  bonfires  blazed  on  the  hill-tops  and  the 


jfernan  <3on3ale3  153 


sound  of  music  and  festivity  was  heard  from 
within  the  town.  When  the  rising  sun  shone 
along  the  valley  of  the  Arlanza  the  Moors  in 
the  castle,  unsuspicious  of  any  lurking  danger, 
threw  open  the  gates  and  issued  forth  to  rec 
reate  themselves  in  the  green  fields  and  along 
the  banks  of  the  river.  When  they  had  pro 
ceeded  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  a  hill 
shut  them  from  view,  the  count  and  his  eager 
followers  issued  silently  but  swiftly  from  their 
hiding-place  and  made  directly  for  the  castle. 
On  the  way  they  met  with  another  band  of 
Moors  who  had  likewise  come  forth  for  amuse 
ment.  The  count  struck  the  leader  to  the 
earth  with  one  blow  of  his  lance  ;  the  rest 
were  either  slain  or  taken  prisoners ;  so  that 
not  one  escaped  to  give  the  alarm. 

Those  of  the  garrison  who  had  remained  in 
the  castle,  seeing  a  Christian  force  rushing  up 
to  the  very  walls,  hastened  to  close  the  gates, 
but  it  was  too  late.  The  count  and  his  cava 
liers  burst  them  open  and  put  every  one  to 
the  sword  who  made  opposition.  Leaving 
Don  Velasco  and  a  number  of  soldiers  to  guard 
the  castle,  the  count  hastened  with  the  rest  in 
pursuit  of  the  Moors  who  were  solemnizing 
the  day  on  the  banks  of  the  Arlanza.  Some 
were  reclining  on  the  grass,  others  were  amus 
ing  themselves  with  music  and  the  popular 


154  Spantsb  papers 


dance  of  the  Zambra,  while  their  arms  lay 
scattered  among  the  herbage. 

At  sight  of  the  Christians,  they  snatched  up 
their  weapons  and  made  a  desperate  though 
vain  resistance.  Within  two  hours  almost  all 
were  either  slain  or  captured  ;  a  few  escaped  to 
the  neighboring  mountains  of  Carazo.  The 
town,  seeing  the  castle  in  the  hands  of  the 
Christians,  and  the  garrison  routed  and  de 
stroyed,  readily  capitulated  ;  and  the  inhabi 
tants  were  permitted  to  retain  unmolested 
possession  of  their  houses,  on  agreeing  to  pay 
to  the  count  the  same  tribute  which  had  been 
exacted  from  them  by  the  Moorish  king.  Don 
Velasco  was  left  alcaid  of  the  fortress,  and  the 
count  returned,  covered  with  glory,  to  his  cap 
ital  of  Burgos. 

The  brilliant  victories  and  hardy  deeds  of 
arms  with  which  the  youthful  Count  of  Castile 
had  commenced  his  reign  excited  the  admira 
tion  of  Alfonso  the  Great,  King  of  Leon,  and 
he  sent  missives  urging  him  to  appear  at  his 
royal  court.  The  count  accordingly  set  forth 
with  a  cavalcade  of  his  most  approved  knights 
and  many  of  his  relatives,  sumptuously  armed 
and  arrayed  and  mounted  on  steeds  richly  ca 
parisoned.  It  was  a  pageant  befitting  a  young 
and  magnificent  chief,  in  the  freshness  and 
pleasance  of  his  years. 


ffernan 


155 


The  king  came  out  of  the  city  to  meet  him, 
attended  by  all  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  his 
court.  The  count  alighted,  and  approached  to 
kiss  the  king's  hand  ;  but  Alfonso  alighted 
also,  and  embraced  him  with  great  affection, 
and  the  friendship  of  these  illustrious  princes 
continued  without  interruption  throughout  the 
life  of  the  king. 


Cbaptcr  Iff . 

Expedition  against  the  Fortress  of  Mngnon — 
ate  Defense  of  the  Moors — Enterprise  against  Cas 
tro  Xeriz. 


M 


ANY  are  the  doughty  achievements  re 
corded  in  ancient  chronicles  of  this 
most  valorous  cavalier  ;  among  others 
is  his  expedition,  with  a  chosen  band, 
against  the  castle  of  Mugnon,  a  place  of  great 
importance,  which  stood  at  no  ^reat  distance 
from  Burgos.  He  sallied  from  his  capital  in 
an  opposite  direction,  to  delude,  the  Moorish 
scouts  ;  but  making  a  sudden  tusn,  came  upon 
the  fortress  by  surprise,  broke  down  the  gates, 
and  forced  his  way  in  at  the  heaq  of  his  troops, 
having  nothing  but  a  dagger  in  his  hand,  his 
lance  and  sword  having  been  broken  in  the  as 
sault.  The  Moors  fought  desperately  from 
court  to  tower,  from  tower  to  wall  ;  and  when 
they  saw  all  resistance  vain,  many  threw  them 
selves  from  the  battlements  into  the  ditch  rather 
156 


tfernan  (Bonsales  157 


than  be  made  captives.  Leaving  a  strong 
garrison  in  the  place,  the  count  returned  to 
Burgos. 

His  next  enterprise  was  against  Castro  Xeriz, 
a  city  with  a  strong  castle,  which  had  been  a 
thorn  in  the  side  of  Castile — the  Moorish  gar 
rison  often  sweeping  the  road  between  Burgos 
and  Leon,  carrying  off  travellers,  capturing 
cattle,  and  plundering  convoys  of  provisions 
and  merchandise.  The  count  advanced  against 
this  place  in  open  day,  ravaging  the  country 
and  announcing  his  approach  by  clouds  of 
smoke  from  the  burning  habitations  of  the 
Moors.  Abdallah,  the  alcaid  of  the  fortress, 
would  have  made  peace,  but  the  count  refused 
all  terms.  "God,"  said  he,  ''has  appointed 
me  to  rescue  his  holy  inheritance  from  the 
power  of  infidels  ;  nothing  is  to  be  negotiated 
but  by  the  edge  of  the  sword." 

Abdallah  then  made  a  sally  with  a  chosen 
band  of  his  cavaliers.  They  at  first  careered 
lightly  with  their  Arabian  steeds  and  launched 
their  Moorish  darts,  but  the  Christians  closed 
in  the  old  Gothic  style,  fighting  hand  to  hand. 
Abdallah  fell  by  the  sword  of  the  count,  and 
his  followers  fled  with  loosened  reins  back  to 
the  city.  The  Christians  followed  hard  upon 
them,  strewing  the  ground  with  dead.  At  the 
gate  of  the  city  they  were  met  by  Almondir, 


158  Spanisb  jpapers 


the  son  of  Abdallah,  who  disputed  the  gateway 
and  the  street  inch  by  inch,  until  the  whole 
place  ran  with  blood.  The  Moors,  driven  from 
the  streets,  took  refuge  in  the  castle,  where 
Almondir  inspirited  them  to  a  desperate  defense, 
until  a  stone  struck  him  as  he  stood  on  the 
battlements,  and  he  fell  to  the  earth  dead. 
Having  no  leader  to  direct  them,  the  Moors 
surrendered.  When  the  town  was  cleared  of 
the  dead,  and  order  restored,  the  count  divided 
the  spoils — allotting  the  houses  among  his  fol 
lowers,  and  peopling  the  place  with  Christians. 
He  gave  the  command  of  it  to  Layn  Bermu- 
dez,  with  the  title  of  count.  From  him  de 
scended  an  illustrious  line  of  cavaliers  termed 
de  Castro,  whose  male  line  became  extinct  in 
Castile,  but  continued  to  flourish  in  Portugal. 
The  place  is  said  to  have  been  called  Castro 
Xeriz,  in  consequence  of  the  blood  shed  in  this 
conflict — xeriz,  in  the  Arabic  language  sig 
nifying  bloody.* 

*  Sandoval,  p.  301. 


Cbapter  1ND. 

How  the  Count  of  Castile  and  the  King  of  Leon  Made 
a  Triumphant  Foray  into  the  Moorish  Country — 
Capture  of  Salamanca— Of  the  Challenge  Brought 
by  the  Herald  and  of  the  Count's  Defiance. 

COUNT    FKRNAN    GONZALEZ   was 
restless,   daring,   and  impetuous ;   he 
seldom  suffered  lance  to  rest  on  wall 
or  steed  in  stable,  and  no  Moorish  com 
mander  could  sleep  in  quiet  who  held  town 
or  tower  in  his  neighborhood.     King  Alphonso 
the  Great  became  emulous  of  sharing  in  his 
achievements,  and  they  made  a  campaign  to 
gether  against  the  Moors.     The  count  brought 
a  splendid  array  of  Castilian  chivalry  into  the 
field,  together  with  a  host  of  Montaneses,  hardy 
and  vigorous  troops  from  the  Asturias,  excel 
lent   for   marauding  warfare.     The   King   of 
Leon  brought  his  veteran  bands,  seasoned  to 
battle.     With  their  united  forces  they  ravaged 
the  Moorish  country,  marking  their  way  with 
159 


160  Spanisb  papers 


havoc  and  devastation  ;  arrived  before  Sala 
manca,  they  took  that  city  by  storm  after  a 
brave  defense,  and  gave  it  up  to  be  sacked  by 
the  soldiery.  After  which  such  of  the  Moors 
as  chose  to  remain  in  it  were  suffered  to  retain 
their  possessions  as  vassals  to  the  king.  Hav 
ing  accomplished  this  triumphant  foray,  they 
returned,  each  one  to  his  capital. 

The  Count  of  Castile  did  not  repose  long  in 
his  palace.  One  day  a  Moorish  herald,  mag 
nificently  dressed,  rode  into  the  city  of  Burgos, 
bringing  Fernan  Gonzalez  a  cartel  of  defiance. 
It  was  from  a  vaunting  Moor  named  Acefali, 
who  had  entered  the  territories  of  Castile  with 
a  powerful  force  of  horse  and  foot,  giving  out 
that  he  had  come  to  measure  strength  and 
prowess  with  the  count  in  battle.  Don  Fernan 
Gonzalez  replied  to  the  defiance  with  weapon  in 
hand  at  the  head  of  his  warriors.  A  pitched 
battle  ensued,  which  lasted  from  early  morn 
until  evening  twilight.  In  the  course  of  the 
fight  the  count  was  in  imminent  peril,  his  horse 
being  killed  under  him  and  himself  surrounded, 
but  he  was  rescued  by  his  cavaliers.  After 
great  bloodshed,  the  Moors  were  routed  and 
pursued  beyond  the  borders.  The  spoil  gained 
in  this  battle  was  devoutly  expended  in  repair 
ing  the  churches  of  Castile  and  the  Montaneses. 


Cbapter  D* 

A  Night  Assault  upon   the  Castle  of   Carazo— The 
Moorish  Maiden  who  Betrayed  the  Garrison. 

IN  those  warlike  times  of  Spain  every  one 
lived   with    sword    in   hand;    there   was 
scarcely   a   commanding  cliff  or  hill-top 
but  had  its  castle.     Moors  and  Christians 
regarded  each  other  from  rival  towers  and  bat 
tlements  perched  on  opposite  heights,  and  were 
incessantly  contending  for  the  dominion  of  the 
valleys. 

We  have  seen  that  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez 
had  regained  possession  of  the  ancient  town 
and  fortress  of  I^ara,  the  domain  of  his  ances 
tors  ;  but  it  will  be  recollected  that  within  two 
leagues'  distance  stood  the  Moorish  presidio  of 
Carazo.  It  was  perched  like  an  eagle's  nest 
on  the  summit  of  a  mountain,  and  the  cragged 
steepness  of  its  position  and  its  high  and  thick 
walls  seemed  to  render  it  proof  against  all 
assault.  The  Moors  who  garrisoned  it  were 
161 


162  Spanteb  papers 


fierce  marauders,  who  used  to  sweep  down  like 
birds  of  prey  from  their  lofty  nest,  pounce  upon 
the  flocks  and  dwellings  of  the  Christians, 
make  hasty  ravages,  and  bear  away  their  spoils 
to  the  mountain-top.  There  was  no  living 
with  safety  or  tranquillity  within  the  scope  of 
their  maraudings. 

Intelligence  of  their  misdeeds  was  brought 
to  the  count  at  Burgos.  He  determined  to 
have  that  castle  of  Carazo,  whatever  might  be 
the  cost :  for  this  purpose  he  called  a  council 
of  his  chosen  cavalier.  He  did  not  conceal 
the  peril  of  the  enterprise,  from  the  crag-built 
situation  of  the  castle,  its  great  strength,  and 
the  vigilance  and  valor  of  its  garrison.  Still 
the  Castilian  cavaliers  offered  themselves  to 
carry  the  fortress  or  die. 

The  count  sallied  secretly  from  Burgos  with 
a  select  force,  and  repaired  in  the  night-time  to 
I/ara,  that  the  Moors  might  have  no  intimation 
nor  suspicion  of  his  design.  In  the  midst  of 
the  next  night  the  castle  gate  was  quietly 
opened,  and  they  issued  forth  as  silently  as 
possible,  pursuing  their  course  in  the  deep 
shadows  of  the  valley  until  they  came  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  of  Carazo.  Here  they 
remained  in  ambush,  and  sent  forth  scouts. 
As  the  latter  prowled  about,  the  day  began  to 
dawn,  and  they  heard  a  female  voice  singing 


Jfernan  (5on3ale3  163 


above  them  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  It 
was  a  Moorish  damsel  coming  down,  with  a 
vessel  upon  her  head.  She  descended  to  a 
fountain  which  gushed  forth  beneath  a  grove 
of  willows,  and  as  she  sang  she  began  to  fill 
her  vessel  with  water.  The  spies  issued  from 
their  concealment,  seized  her,  and  carried  her 
to  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez. 

Overcome  by  terror  or  touched  by  convic 
tion,  the  Moorish  damsel  threw  herself  on  her 
knees  before  the  count,  declared  her  wish  to 
turn  Christian,  and  offered,  in  proof  of  her  sin 
cerity,  to  put  him  in  a  way  of  gaining  posses 
sion  of  the  castle.  Being  encouraged  to  pro 
ceed,  she  told  them  there  was  to  be  a  marriage 
feast  that  day  in  the  castle,  and  of  course  a 
great  deal  of  revelry,  which  would  put  the  gar 
rison  off  its  guard.  She  pointed  to  a  place 
where  he  might  lie  in  ambush  with  his  troops 
in  sight  of  the  tower,  and  promised,  when  a 
favorable  moment  presented  for  an  attack,  to 
give  a  signal  with  a  light. 

The  count  regarded  her  for  a  time  with  a 
fixed  and  earnest  gaze,  but  saw  no  faltering 
nor  change  of  countenance.  The  case  required 
bold  measures,  combined  with  stratagem  ;  so 
he  confided  in  her,  and  permitted  her  to  return 
to  the  castle.  All  the  day  he  lay  in  ambush 
with  his  troops,  each  man  his  hand  upon  his 


164  Spanteb  papers 


weapon  to  guard  against  surprise.  The  dis 
tant  sound  of  revelry  from  the  castle,  with  now 
and  then  the  clash  of  cymbals,  the  bray  of 
trumpets,  and  a  strain  of  festive  music,  showed 
the  gayety  that  reigned  within.  Night  came 
on ;  lights  gleamed  from  walls  and  windows, 
but  none  resembling  the  appointed  signal.  It 
was  almost  midnight,  and  the  count  began  to 
fear  the  Moorish  damsel  had  deceived  him, 
when  to  his  great  joy  he  saw  the  signal-light 
gleaming  from  one  of  the  towers. 

He  now  sallied  forth  with  his  men,  and  all, 
on  foot,  clambered  up  the  steep  and  rugged 
height.  They  had  almost  attained  the  foot  of 
the  towers  when  they  were  descried  by  a  senti 
nel,  who  cried  with  a  loud  voice  :  "  The  foe  ! 
the  foe  !  to  arms  !  to  arms  ! ' '  The  count, 
followed  by  his  hardy  cavaliers,  rushed  for 
ward  to  the  gate,  crying  :  ' '  God  and  Saint 
Millan  !  "  The  whole  castle  was  instantly  in 
an  uproar.  The  Moors  were  bewildered  by 
the  sudden  surprise  and  the  confusion  of  a 
night  assault.  They  fought  bravely  but  irreg 
ularly.  The  Christians  had  but  one  plan  and 
one  object.  After  a  hard  struggle  and  great 
bloodshed,  they  forced  the  gate  and  made 
themselves  masters  of  the  castle. 

The  count  remained  several  days,  fortifying 
the  place  and  garrisoning  it,  that  it  might  not 


jfecnan  <3on3ale3  165 


fall  again  into  the  possession  of  the  Moors. 
He  bestowed  magnificent  rewards  on  the  Moor 
ish  damsel  who  had  thus  betrayed  her  country 
men  ;  she  embraced  the  Christian  faith,  to 
which  she  had  just  given  such  a  signal  proof 
of  devotion,  though  it  is  not  said  whether  the 
count  had  sufficient  confidence  in  her  conversion 
and  her  newly  moulted  piety  to  permit  her  to 
remain  in  the  fortress  she  had  betrayed. 

Having  completed  his  arrangements,  the 
count  departed  on  his  return,  and  encountered 
on  the  road  his  mother,  Dona  Nuna  Fernandez, 
who,  exulting  in  his  success,  had  set  out  to 
visit  him  at  Carazo.  The  mother  and  son 
had  a  joyful  meeting,  and  gave  the  name  of 
Contreras  to  the  place  of  their  encounter. 


dbapter  W1. 

Death  of  Alfonso,  King  of  I/eon — The  Moors  Deter 
mined  to  Strike  a  Fresh  Blow  at  the  Count,  who 
Summons  All  Castile  to  his  Standard — Of  his  Hunt 
in  the  Forest  while  Waiting  for  the  Enemy,  and  of 
the  Hermit  that  he  Met  with. 

ALFONSO  THE  GREAT  was  now  grow 
ing  old  and  infirm,  and  his  queen  and 
sons,  taking  advantage  of  his  age  and 
feebleness,  endeavored  by  harsh  treat 
ment  to  compel  him  to  relinquish  the  crown. 
Count   Fernan   Gonzalez   interceded   between 
them,  but  in  vain  ;  and  Alfonso  was  at  length 
obliged  to  surrender  his  crown  to  his  oldest  son, 
Don  Garcia.     The  aged  monarch  then  set  out 
upon  a  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  St.  lago  ; 
but,  falling  ill  of  his  mortal  malady,  sent  for 
the  count  to  come  to  him  to  his  death-bed  at 
Zamora.     The  count  hastened  thither  with  all 
zeal  and  loyalty.     He  succeeded  in  effecting  a 
reconciliation  between  Alfonso  and  his  son  Don 
166 


jfernan  (Senates  167 


Garcia  in  his  dying  moments,  and  was  with 
the  monarch  when  he  quietly  breathed  his  last. 
The  death  of  the  king  gave  fresh  courage  to 
the  Moors,  and  they  thought  this  a  favorable 
moment  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  rising  power  of 
the  count.  Abderahman  was  at  this  time  King 
of  Cordova  and  Miramamolin,  or  sovereign,  of 
the  Moors  in  Spain.  He  had  been  enraged  at 
the  captors  of  the  castle  of  Carazo,  and  the 
other  victories  of  the  count ;  and  now  that  the 
latter  had  no  longer  the  King  of  L,eon  to  back 
him,  it  was  thought  he  might,  by  a  vigorous 
effort,  be  completely  crushed.  Abderahman 
accordingly  assembled  at  Cordova  a  great  army 
of  Moorish  warriors,  both  those  of  Spain  and 
Africa,  and  sent  them,  under  the  command  of 
Almanzor,  to  ravage  the  country  of  Count 
Fernan  Gonzalez.  This  Almanzor  was  the 
most  valiant  Moorish  general  in  Spain,  and  one 
on  whom  Abderahman  depended  as  upon  his 
right  hand. 

On  hearing  of  the  impending  danger,  Count 
Fernan  Gonzalez  summoned  all  men  of  Castile 
capable  of  bearing  arms  to  repair  to  his  standard 
at  Munon.  His  force  when  assembled  was  but 
small,  but  composed  of  the  bravest  chivalry  of 
Castile,  any  one  knight  of  which  he  esteemed 
equal  to  ten  Moors.  One  of  the  most  eminent 
of  his  cavaliers  was  Don  Gonzalo  Gustios,  of 


i68  Spanteb  ipapcrs 


L,ara,  who  brought  seven  valiant  sons  to  the 
field — the  same  afterwards  renowned  in  Spanish 
story  as  the  seven  princes  of  L,ara.  With  Don 
Gonzalo  came  also  his  wife's  brother,  Ruy  or 
Rodrigo  Velazquez,  a  cavalier  of  great  prowess. 

In  the  meantime  tidings  continued  to  arrive 
of  the  great  force  of  the  enemy,  which  was  said 
to  cover  the  country  with  its  tents.  The  name 
of  the  Moorish  general,  Almanzor,  likewise 
inspired  great  alarm.  One  of  the  count's  cav 
aliers,  therefore,  Gonzalo  Diaz,  counselled  him 
not  to  venture  upon  an  open  battle  against  such 
fearful  odds ;  but  rather  to  make  a  fulay  or 
ravaging  inroad,  into  the  country  of  the  Moors, 
by  way  of  compelling  them  to  make  a  truce. 
The  count,  however,  rejected  his  advice.  "  As 
to  their  numbers, ' '  said  he,  *  *  one  lion  is  worth 
ten  sheep,  and  thirty  wolves  could  kill  thirty 
thousand  lambs.  As  to  that  Moor,  Almanzor, 
be  assured  we  shall  vanquish  him,  and  the 
greater  his  renown  the  greater  will  be  the 
honor  of  the  victory." 

The  count  now  marched  his  little  army  to 
I^ara,  where  he  paused  to  await  the  movements 
of  the  enemy.  While  his  troops  were  lying 
there  he  mounted  his  horse  one  day  and  went 
forth  with  a  few  attendants  to  hunt  in  the  for 
ests  which  bordered  the  river  Arlanza.  In  the 
course  of  the  chase  he  roused  a  monstrous  boar, 


jfecnan  <3oti3ale3  169 


and  pursued  it  among  the  rocks  and  brakes 
until  he  became  separated  from  his  attendants. 
Still  following  the  track  of  the  boar,  he  came 
to  the  foot  of  a  rocky  precipice,  up  which  the 
animal  mounted  by  a  rugged  and  narrow  path, 
where  the  horse  could  not  follow.  The  count 
alighted,  tied  his  horse  to  an  oak,  and  clam 
bered  up  the  path,  assisting  himself  at 
times  with  his  boar-spear.  The  path  led  to 
a  close  thicket  of  cedars,  surrounding  a 
small  edifice  partly  built  of  stone  and  partly 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The  boar  had 
taken  refuge  within,  and  had  taken  his 
stand  behind  what  appeared  to  be  a  mass  of 
stone.  The  count  was  about  to  launch  his 
javelin  when  he  beheld  a  cross  of  stone  stand 
ing  on  what  he  now  perceived  was  an  altar, 
and  he  knew  that  he  was  in  a  holy  place. 
Being  as  pious  as  he  was  brave,  the  good  count 
now  knelt  before  the  altar  and  asked  pardon 
of  God  for  the  sin  he  had  been  on  the  point  of 
committing  ;  and  when  he  had  finished  this 
prayer,  he  added  another  for  victory  over  the 
foe.' 

While  he  was  yet  praying,  there  entered  a 
venerable  monk,  Fray  Pelayo  by  name,  who, 
seeing  him  to  be  a  Christian  knight,  gave  him 
his  benediction.  He  informed  the  count  that 
he  resided  in  this  hermitage  in  company  with 


Spanisb 


two  other  monks — Arsenio  and  Silvano.  The 
count  marvelled  much  how  they  could  live 
there  in  a  country  overrun  by  enemies,  and 
which  had  for  a  long  time,  and  but  recently, 
been  in  the  power  of  the  infidels.  The  hermit 
replied  that  in  the  service  of  God  they  were 
ready  to  endure  all  hardships.  It  is  true  they 
suffered  much  from  cold  and  hunger,  being 
obliged  to  live  chiefly  on  herbs  and  roots  ;  but 
by  secret  paths  and  tracks  they  were  in  com 
munication  with  other  hermitages  scattered 
throughout  the  country,  so  that  they  were  en 
abled  to  aid  and  comfort  each  other.  They 
could  also  secretly  sustain  in  the  faith  the 
Christians  who  were  held  in  subjection  by  the 
Moors,  and  afford  them  places  of  refuge  and 
concealment  in  cases  of  extremity. 

The  count  now  opened  his  heart  to  the  good 
hermit,  revealing  his  name  and  rank,  and  the 
perils  impending  over  him  from  the  invasion 
of  the  infidel.  As  the  day  was  far  spent,  Fray 
Pelayo  prevailed  upon  him  to  pass  the  night 
in  the  hermitage,  setting  before  him  barley 
bread  and  such  simple  fare  as  his  cell  afforded. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  count  went  forth 
and  found  the  hermit  seated  beneath  a  tree  on 
a  rock,  whence  he  could  look  far  and  wide  out 
of  the  forest  and  over  the  surrounding  country. 
The  hermit  then  accosted  him  as  one  whose 


ffernan  (Settles  171 


holy  and  meditative  life  and  mortifications  of 
the  flesh  had  given  him  the  power  to  look  into 
the  future  almost  with  the  eye  of  prophecy. 
"Of  a  truth,  my  son,"  said  he,  "there  are 
many  trials  and  hardships  in  store  for  thee  ; 
but  be  of  good  cheer,  thou  wilt  conquer  these 
Moors,  and  wilt  increase  thy  power  and  posses 
sions.  ' '  He  now  revealed  to  the  count  certain 
signs  and  portents  which  would  take  place 
during  the  battle.  ' '  When  thou  shalt  see 
these,"  said  he,  "be  assured  that  Heaven  is 
on  thy  side,  and  thy  victory  secure."  The 
count  listened  with  devout  attention.  * '  If 
these  things  do  indeed  come  to  pass,"  said  he, 
' '  I  will  found  a  church  and  convent  in  this 
place,  to  be  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  the  patron 
saint  of  this  hermitage  ;  and  when  I  die  my 
body  shall  be  interred  here. ' '  Receiving  then 
the  benediction  of  the  holy  friar  he  departed. 


Cbaptet  OT1F. 

The  Battle  of  the  Ford  of  Cascajares. 

WHEN   Count    Fernan    Gonzalez   re 
turned  to  his  troops  he  found  them 
in  great  alarm  at  his  absence,  fear 
ing  some  evil  had  befallen  him  ; 
but  he  cheered  them  with  an  account  of  his 
adventure  and  of  the  good  fortune  predicted 
by  the  hermit. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  May,  on  the  day  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  that  the  Christian  and  Moslem 
armies  came  in  sight  of  each  other.  The 
Moors  advanced  with  a  great  sound  of  trum 
pets,  atabals,  and  cymbals,  and  their  mighty 
host  extended  over  hill  and  valley.  When 
they  saw  how  small  was  the  force  of  the 
Christians  they  put  up  derisive  shouts,  and 
rushed  forward  to  surround  them. 

Don  Fernan  Gonzalez  remained  calm  and 
unmoved  upon  a  rising  ground,  for  the  hour 
was  at  hand  when  the  sign  of  victory  prom- 
172 


ffernan  <5on3ale3  173 


ised  by  the  hermit  was  to  take  place.  Near 
by  him  was  a  youthful  cavalier,  Pedro  Gonza 
lez  by  name,  native  of  La  Puente  de  Hitero, 
of  fiery  courage  but  vainglorious  temper.  He 
was  cased  in  shining  armor,  and  mounted  on  a 
beautiful  horse  impatient  of  spirit  as  himself, 
and  incessantly  foaming  and  champing  on  the 
bit  and  pawing  the  earth.  As  the  Moors  drew 
near,  while  there  was  yet  a  large  space  between 
them  and  the  Christains,  this  fiery  cavalier 
could  no  longer  contain  himself,  but  giving 
reins  to  his  steed  set  off  headlong  to  encounter 
the  foe  ;  when  suddenly  the  earth  opened, 
man  and  horse  rushed  downward  into  an  abyss, 
and  the  earth  closed  as  before. 

A  cry  of  horror  ran  through  the  Christian 
ranks,  and  a  panic  was  like  to  seize  upon  them, 
but  Don  Fernan  Gonzalez  rode  in  front  of  them, 
exclaiming  :  ' '  This  is  the  promised  sign  of  vic 
tory.  Let  us  see  how  Castilians  defend  their 
lord,  for  my  standard  shall  be  borne  into  the 
thickest  of  the  fight."  So  saying,  he  ordered 
Orbita  Fernandez  to  advance  his  standard  ;  and 
when  his  troops  saw  the  silver  cross  glittering 
on  high  and  borne  toward  the  enemy,  they 
shouted  * '  Castile  !  Castile  ! ' '  and  rushed  for 
ward  to  the  fight.  Immediately  around  the 
standard  fought  Don  Gonzalo  Gustios  and  his 
seven  sons,  and  he  was,  say  the  old  chroniclers, 


i?4  Spanisb  papers 


like  a  lion  leading  his  whelps  into  the  fight. 
Wherever  they  fought  their  way,  they  might 
be  traced  by  the  bodies  of  bleeding  and  ex 
piring  infidels.  Few  particulars  of  this  battle 
remain  on  record  ;  but  it  is  said  that  the  Moors 
were  as  if  struck  with  sudden  fear  and  weak 
ness,  and  fled  in  confusion.  Almanzor  himself 
escaped  by  the  speed  of  his  horse,  attended  by 
a  handful  of  his  cavaliers. 

In  the  camp  of  the  Moors  was  found  vast 
booty  in  gold  and  silver,  and  other  precious 
things,  with  sumptuous  armor  and  weapons. 
When  the  spoil  was  divided  and  the  troops 
were  refreshed,  Don  Fernan  Gonzalez  went 
with  his  cavaliers  in  pious  procession  to  the 
hermitage  of  San  Pedro.*  Here  he  gave  much 

*  It  does  not  appear  that  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez 
kept  his  promise  of  founding  a  church  and  monastery 
on  the  site  of  the  hermitage.  The  latter  edifice  re 
mained  to  after  ages.  "It  stands,"  says  Sandoval, 
"  on  a  precipice  overhanging  the  river  Arlanza,  inso 
much  that  it  inspires  dread  to  look  below.  It  is  ex 
tremely  ancient ;  large  enough  to  hold  a  hundred 
persons.  Within  the  chapel  is  an  opening  like  a 
chasm,  leading  down  to  a  cavern  larger  than  the 
church,  formed  in  the  solid  rock,  with  a  small  window 
which  overlooks  the  river.  It  was  here  the  Christians 
used  to  conceal  themselves." 

As  a  corroboration  of  the  adventure  of  the  Count  of 
Castile,  Sandoval  assures  us  that  in  his  day  the  oak 


jfernan 


175 


silver  and  gold  to  the  worthy  Fray  Pelayo,  to 
be  expended  in  masses  for  the  souls  of  the 
Christian  warriors  who  had  fallen  in  battle,  and 
in  prayers  for  further  victories  over  the  infidels  ; 
after  which  he  returned  in  triumph  to  his  capi 
tal  of  Burgos. 

still  existed  to  which  Don  Fernan  Gonzalez  tied  his 
horse,  when  he  alighted  to  scramble  up  the  hill  in 
pursuit  of  the  boar.  The  worthy  Fray  Agapida,  how 
ever,  needed  no  corroboration  of  the  kind,  swallowing 
the  whole  story  with  the  ready  credence  of  a  pious 
monk.  The  action  here  recorded  was  known  by  the 
name  of  the  battle  of  the  Ford  of  Cascajares. 

Sandoval  gives  a  different  account  of  the  fate  of  the 
hermits.  He  says  that  Almanzor,  in  a  rage  at  their 
prognostics,  overthrew  their  chapel,  and,  without 
alighting  from  his  horse,  ordered  the  three  monks  to 
be  beheaded  in  his  presence.  "  This  martyrdom,"  he 
adds,  "is  represented  in  an  ancient  painting  of  the 
chapel  which  still  exists." 


Cbaptet  OT11  . 

Of  the  Message  Sent  by  the  Count  to  Sancho  II.,  King 
of  Navarre,  and  the  Reply  —  Their  Encounter  in 
Battle. 


THK  good  Count   of  Castile  was  so  in 
spirited  by  this  signal  victory  over  the 
Moors,  and  their  great  general  Alman- 
zor,  that  he  determined,  now  that  he 
had  a  breathing-spell  from  infidel  warfare,  to 
redress  certain  grievances  sustained  from  one 
of  his  Christian  neighbors.     This  was  Don  San 
cho  II.,  King  of  Navarre,  surnamed  Abarca, 
either  from  the  abarcas  or  shepherd  shoes,  which 
he  had  worn  in  early  life,  when  brought  up  in 
secrecy  and  indigence,  during  the  overthrow 
of  his  country  by  the  Moors,  or  from  making 
his  soldiers  wear  shoes  of  the  kind  in  crossing 
the  snowy  Pyrenees.     It  was  a  name  by  which 
the  populace  delighted  to  call  him. 

This  prince  had  recovered  all  Navarre  from 
the  infidels,  and  even  subjected  to  his  crown 
I76 


ffernan  <5ott3ale3  177 


all  Biscay,  or  Cantabria,  and  some  territory  be 
yond  the  Pyrenees,  on  the  confines  of  France. 
Not  content  with  these  acquisitions,  he  had 
made  occasional  inroads  into  Castile,  in  conse 
quence  of  a  contest  respecting  the  territories  of 
Najarra  and  Rioxa,  to  which  he  laid  claim. 
These  incursions  he  repeated  whenever  he  had 
peace  or  truce  with  the  Moors.* 

Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  having  now  time, 
as  has  been  observed,  to  attend  to  these  mat 
ters,  sent  an  ambassador  to  King  Sancho, 
charged  with  a  courteous  but  resolute  message. 
"  I  come,  Seiior,"  said  the  ambassador  to  the 
king,  ' '  by  command  of  the  Count  Fernan  Gon 
zalez  of  Castile,  and  this  is  what  I  am  told  to 
say.  You  have  done  him  much  wrong  in  times 
past,  by  leaguing  with  the  infidels  and  making 
inroads  into  his  territories  while  he  was  absent 
or  engaged  in  war.  If  you  will  amend  your 
ways  in  this  respect,  and  remedy  the  past,  you 
will  do  him  much  pleasure  ;  but  if  you  refuse, 
he  sends  you  his  defiance. ' '  *» 

King  Sancho  Abarca  was  lost  in  astonish 
ment  and  indignation  at  receiving  such  a  mes 
sage  from  a  count  of  Castile.  "  Return  to  the 
count, ' '  said  he,  ' '  and  tell  him  I  will  amend 
nothing ;  that  I  marvel  at  his  insolence,  and 

*  Sandoval.     The  Five  Bishops.    Mariana,  lib.  8,  c. 

S>  P-  367'     Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana,  part  3,  c.  18,  fol.  53. 
xa 


178  Spanfsb 


hold  him  for  a  madman  for  daring  to  defy  me. 
Tell  him  he  has  listened  to  evil  counsel,  or  a 
few  trifling  successes  against  the  Moors  have 
turned  his  brain  ;  but  it  will  be  very  different 
when  I  come  to  seek  him,  for  there  is  not  town  or 
tower  from  which  I  will  not  drag  him  forth."* 

The  ambassador  returned  with  this  reply, 
nor  did  he  spare  the  least  of  its  .scorn  and  bit 
terness.  Upon  this  the  count  assembled  his 
cavaliers  and  councillors,  and  represented  the 
case.  He  exhorted  them  to  stand  by  him  in 
seeking  redress  for  this  insult  and  injury  to 
their  country  and  their  chieftain.  "We  are 
not  equal  in  numbers  to  the  enemy,  but  we  are 
valiant  men,  united  and  true  to  each  other,  and 
one  hundred  good  lances,  all  in  the  hands  of 
chosen  cavaliers,  all  of  one  heart  and  mind, 
are  worth  three  hundred  placed  by  chance  in 
the  hands  of  men  who  have  no  common  tie." 
The  cavaliers  all  assured  him  they  would  follow 
and  obey  him  as  loyal  subjects  of  a  worthy 
lord,  and  would  prove  their  fealty  in  the  day 
of  battle. 

A  little  army  of  staunch  Castilians  was  soon 
assembled,  the  silver  cross  was  again  reared  on 
high  by  the  standard-bearer  Orbita  Velasquez, 
and  the  count  advanced  resolutely  a  day's 
journey  into  the  kingdom  of  Navarre,  for  his 
*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana>  ut  supra. 


tfernan  Gonaalcs  179 


maxim  was  to  strike  quickly  and  sudden. 
King  Sancho  wondered  at  his  daring,  but 
hastened  to  meet  him  with  a  greatly  superior 
force.  The  armies  came  in  sight  of  each  other 
at  a  place  called  the  Era  de  Gollanda. 

The  count  now  addressed  his  men.  t{  The 
enemy,"  said  he,  "are  more  numerous  than 
we  ;  they  are  vigorous  of  body  and  light  of  foot, 
and  are  dexterous  in  throwing  darts.  They 
will  have  the  advantage  if  they  attack  us  ;  but 
if  we  attack  them  and  close  manfully,  we  shall 
get  the  field  of  them  before  they  have  time  to 
hurl  their  darts  and  wound  us.  For  my  part, 
I  shall  make  for  the  king.  If  I  can  but  re 
venge  the  wrongs  of  Castile  upon  his  person 
I  care  not  how  soon  I  die. ' ' 

As  the  armies  drew  near  each  other  the  Cas- 
tilians,  true  to  the  orders  of  their  chieftain,  put 
up  the  war-cry,  "  Castile  !  Castile  !  "  and  rush 
ing  forward,  broke  through  the  squadrons  of 
Navarre.  Then  followed  a  fight  so  pitiless  and 
deadly,  says  an  old  chronicler,  that  the  strokes 
of  their  weapons  resounded  through  the  whole 
country.  The  count  sought  King  Sancho 
throughout  the  whole  field ;  they  met  and  recog 
nized  each  other  by  their  armorial  bearings  and 
devices.  They  fought  with  fury,  until  both  fell 
from  their  horses  as  if  dead.  The  Castilians  cut 
their  way  through  the  mass  of  the  enemy,  and 


Spanish  papers 


surrounded  their  fallen  chief.  Some  raised  him 
from  the  earth  while  others  kept  off  the  foe. 
At  first  they  thought  him  dead,  and  were  loud 
in  their  lamentations  ;  but  when  the  blood  and 
dust  were  wiped  from  his  face  he  revived  and 
told  them  not  to  heed  him,  for  his  wounds  were 
nothing  ;  but  to  press  on  and  gain  the  victory, 
for  he  had  slain  the  King  of  Navarre. 

At  hearing  this  they  gave  a  great  shout  and 
returned  to  the  fight ;  but  those  of  Navarre, 
seized  with  terror  at  the  fall  of  their  king, 
turned  their  backs  and  fled. 

The  count  then  caused  the  body  of  the  king 
to  be  taken  from  among  the  slain  and  to  be 
conducted,  honorably  attended,  to  Navarre. 
Thus  fell  Sancho  Abarca,  King  of  Navarre, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Don  Garcia,  sur- 
surnamed  the  Trembler. 


Cbapter  f£, 

How  the    Count  of  Toulouse  Makes  a    Campaign 
against  Castile,  and  how  he  Returns  in  his  Coffin. 


WHIIyB  the  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez 
was  yet  ill  of  his  wounds  in  his 
capital,  and  when  his  soldiers  had 
scarce  laid  by  their  cuirasses  and 
hung  up  their  shields  and  lances,  there  was  a 
fresli  alarm  of  war.     The  Count  of  Toulouse 
and  Poictiers,  the  close  friend  and  ally  of  King 
Sancho  Abarca,  had  come  from  France  with  a 
host  to  his  assistance,  but  finding  him  defeated 
and  slain,  raised  his  standard  to  make  a  cam 
paign,  in  his  revenge,  against  the  Castilians. 
The  Navarrese  all  gathered  round  him,  and 
now  an  army  was  on  foot  more  powerful  than 
the  one  which  had  recently  been  defeated. 

Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  wounded  as  he  was, 

summoned  his  troops  to  march  against  this  new 

enemy  ;  but  the  war-worn   Castilians,    vexed 

at  being  thus  called  again  to  arms  before  they 

v  181 


182  Spanfsb 


had  time  to  breathe,  began  to  murmur.  "  This 
is  the  life  of  the  very  Devil,"  said  they,  "  to  go 
about  day  and  night,  without  a  moment's  rest. 
This  lord  of  ours  is  assuredly  Satan  himself, 
and  we  are  lesser  devils  in  his  employ,  always 
busy  entrapping  the  souls  of  men.  He  has  no 
pity  for  us,  so  battered  and  worn,  nor  for  him 
self,  so  badly  wounded.  It  is  necessary  that 
some  one  should  talk  with  him,  and  turn  him 
from  his  madness." 

Accordingly  a  hardy  cavalier,  Nuno  lyaynez, 
remonstrated  with  the  count  against  further 
fighting  until  he  should  be  cured  of  his  wounds 
and  his  people  should  have  time  to  repose  ;  for 
mortal  men  could  not  support  this  kind  of 
life.  ' '  Nor  is  this  urged  through  cowardice, ' ' 
added  he,  ' '  for  your  men  are  ready  to  fight 
for  and  defend  you  as  they  would  their  own 
souls. ' ' 

"Well  have  you  spoken,  Nuno  Laynez," 
replied  the  count ;  * '  yet  for  all  this  I  am 
not  minded  to  defer  this  fight.  A  day  lost 
never  returns.  An  opportunity  foregone  can 
never  be  recalled.  The  warrior  who  indulges 
in  repose  will  never  leave  the  memory  of  great 
deeds  behind  him.  His  name  dies  when  his 
soul  leaves  the  body.  I^et  us,  therefore,  make 
the  most  of  the  days  and  hours,  allotted  us, 
and  crown  them  with  such  glorious  deeds 


jfernan  <5on3alc3  183 


that   the  world   shall   praise  us  in  all  future 
time." 

When  Nuno  L,aynez  repeated  these  gener 
ous  words  to  the  cavaliers,  the  blood  glowed 
in  their  veins,  and  they  prepared  themselves 
manfully  for  the  field  ;  nor  did  the  count  give 
them  time  to  cool  before  he  put  himself  at  their 
head  and  marched  to  meet  the  enemy.  He 
found  them  drawn  up  on  the  opposite  side  of 
a  river  which  was  swollen  and  troubled  by  re 
cent  rains.  Without  hesitation  he  advanced  to 
ford  it,  but  his  troops  were  galled  by  nights  of 
darts  and  arrows  as  they  crossed,  and  received 
with  lances  on  the  water's  edge  ;  the  bodies  of 
many  floated  down  the  turbid  stream,  and 
many  perished  on  the  banks.  They  made 
good  their  crossing,  however,  and  closed  with 
the  enemy.  The  fight  was  obstinate  and  the 
Castilians  were  hardly  pressed,  being  so  in 
ferior  in  number.  Don  Fernan  Gonzalez  gal 
loped  along  the  front  of  the  enemy.  ' '  Where 
is  the  Count  of  Toulouse  ?  "  cried  he  ;  "  let 
him  come  forth  and  face  me,  — me,  Fernan 
Gonzalez  of  Castile,  who  defy  him  to  single 
combat  !  "  The  count  answered  promptly  to 
the  defiance.  No  one  from  either  side  pre 
sumed  to  interfere  while  the  two  counts  en 
countered,  man  to -man  and  horse  to  horse,  like 
honorable  and  generous  cavaliers.  They  rushed 


184  Spanisb  papers 


upon  each  other  with  the  full  speed  of  their 
horses ;  the  lance  of  Don  Fernan  pierced 
through  all  the  armor  and  accoutrements  of 
the  Count  of  Toulouse  and  bore  him  out  of 
the  saddle,  and  before  he  touched  the  earth  his 
soul  had  already  parted  from  his  body.  The 
men  of  Toulouse,  seeing  their  chief  fall  dead, 
fled  amain,  but  were  pursued,  and  three  hun 
dred  of  them  taken.* 

The  field  being  won,  Count  Fernan  Gonza 
lez  alighted  and  took  off  the  armor  of  the 
Count  of  Toulouse,  with  his  own  hands,  and 
wrapped  him  in  a  xemeie^  or  Moorish  mantle, 
of  great  value,  which  he  had  gained  when  he 
conquered  Almanzor.  He  ordered  a  coffin  to 
be  made,  and  covered  with  cloth  of  gold,  and 
studded  with  silver  nails,  and  he  put  therein 
the  body  of  the  count,  and  delivered  it  to  the 
captive  cavaliers,  whom  he  released  and  fur 
nished  with  money  for  their  expenses,  making 
them  swear  not  to  leave  the  body  of  the  count 
until  they  had  conducted  it  to  Toulouse.  So 
the  count,  who  had  come  from  France  in 
such  chivalrous  state,  at  the  head  of  an  array 
of  shining  warriors,  returned  in  his  coffin 
with  a  mourning  train  of  vanquished  cavaliers, 
while  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  conducted  his 
victorious  troops  in  triumph  back  to  Burgos. 
*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana. 


3Fcrnan 


185 


This  signal  victory  took  place  in  the  year  of 
our  Redemption  926,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Alfonso  the  Monk  on  the  throne  of 
]>on  and  the  Asturias.* 

*  Mariana,  lib.  8,  c.  5,  p.  367. 


Cbapter  £ . 

How  the  Count  Went  to  Receive  the  Hand  of  a 
Princess,  and  was  Thrown  into  a  Dungeon — Of  the 
Stranger  that  Visited  him  in  his  Chains,  and  of  the 
Appeal  that  he  Made  to  the  Princess  for  his  Deliv 
erance. 

GARCIA  II. ,  who  had  succeeded  to  the 
throne  of  Navarre   on  the   death  of 
his  father,  was  brave  of  soul,  though 
surnamed    El     Tembloso,    or     The 
Trembler.     He  was  so  called  because  he  was 
observed  to  tremble  on  going  into  battle  ;  but, 
as  has  been   said  of  others,  it  was  only  the 
flesh  that  trembled,  foreseeing  the  dangers  into 
which  the  spirit  would  carry   it.     This  king 
was  deeply  grieved  at  the  death  of  his  father, 
slain  by  Count   Fernan  Gonzalez,  and  would 
have  taken  vengeance  by  open  warfare,  but  he 
was   counselled    by   his    mother,    the    Queen 
Teresa,   to  pursue  a  subtler  course.     At  her 
instigation  overtures  were  made  to  the  count 
1 86 


3fernan  <Son3ale3  187 


to  settle  all  the  feuds  between  Navarre  and 
Castile  by  a  firm  alliance,  and  to  this  end  it 
was  proposed  that  the  count  should  take  to 
wife  Dona  Sancha,  the  sister  of  King  Garcia 
and  daughter  of  King  Sancho  Abarca.  The 
count  accepted  gladly  the  proffered  alliance, 
for  he  had  heard  of  the  great  merit  and  beauty 
of  the  princess,  and  was  pleased  with  so  agree 
able  a  mode  of  putting  an  end  to  all  their  con 
tests.  A  conference  was  accordingly  appointed 
between  the  count  and  King  Garcia,  to  take 
place  at  Ciruena,  each  to  be  attended  only  by 
five  cavaliers. 

The  count  was  faithful  to  his  compact,  and 
appeared  at  the  appointed  place  with  five  of  the 
bravest  of  his  cavaliers  ;  but  the  king  arrived 
with  five- and- thirty  chosen  men,  all  armed 
cap-a-pie.  The  count,  suspecting  treachery, 
retreated  with  his  cavaliers  into  a  neighboring 
hermitage,  and,  barricading  the  door,  defended 
himself  throughout  the  day  until  nightfall. 
Seeing  there  was  no  alternative,  he  at  length 
capitulated  and  agreed  to  surrender  himself 
a  prisoner,  and  pay  homage  to  the  king,  on 
the  latter  assuring  him,  under  oath,  that 
his  life  should  be  secure.  King  Garcia  the 
Trembler,  having  in  this  wily  manner  gained 
possession  of  the  count,  threw  him  in  irons 
and  conducted  him  a  prisoner  to  Navarre, 


Spanisb  papers 


where  he  confined  him  in  a  strong  castle  called 
Castro  Viejo.  At  his  intercession,  however,  his 
five  cavaliers  were  released,  and  carried  back 
to  Castile  the  doleful  tidings  of  his  captivity. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  a  brave  Norman 
count,  who  was  performing  a  pilgrimage  to  St. 
lago  of  Compostella,  heard  that  the  Count 
Fernan  Gonzalez,  whose  renown  had  spread 
far  and  wide,  lay  in  chains  in  Castro  Viejo. 
Having  a  vehement  desire  to  see  the  man  of 
whom  fame  had  spoken  so  loudly,  he  repaired 
to  the  castle,  and  bribed  his  way  to  the  prison 
of  the  count.  When  he  entered  and  beheld 
so  noble  a  cavalier  in  a  solitary  dungeon  and 
in  chains,  he  was  sore  at  heart.  The  count 
looked  up  with  wonder  as  this  stranger  stood 
before  him  in  pilgrim  garb  and  with  sorrowful 
aspect,  but  when  he  learned  his  name  and 
rank,  and  the  object  of  his  visit,  he  gave  him 
the  right  hand  of  friendship. 

The  pilgrim  count  left  the  castle  more  en 
amoured  than  ever  of  the  character  of  Count 
Fernan  Gonzalez.  At  a  festival  of  the  court 
he  beheld  the  Princess  Sancha,  who  had  served 
as  a  lure  to  draw  the  good  count  into  the 
power  of  his  enemies,  and  he  found  her  of 
surpassing  beauty,  and  of  a  gentle  and  loving 
demeanor  ;  so  he  determined  to  seek  an  oppor 
tunity  to  speak  with  her  in  private,  for  surely, 


3Fernan  <3on3ale3  189 


thought  he,  in  such  a  bosom  must  dwell  the 
soft  pity  of  womanhood.  Accordingly  one 
day  as  the  princess  was  walking  in  the  garden 
with  her  ladies,  he  presented  himself  before 
her  in  his  pilgrim's  garb,  and  prayed  to  speak 
with  her  apart,  as  if  on  some  holy  mission. 
And  when  they  were  alone,  "  How  is  this, 
princess, ' '  said  he,  * '  that  you  are  doing  such 
great  wrong  to  Heaven,  to  yourself,  and  to  all 
.Christendom  ?  ' '  The  princess  started,  and 
said  :  ' '  What  wrong  have  I  done  ?  ' '  Then 
replied  the  pilgrim  count :  "  Behold,  for  thy 
sake  the  noblest  of  cavaliers,  the  pride  of  Spain, 
the  flower  of  chivalry,  the  hope  of  Christen 
dom,  lies  in  a  dungeon,  fettered  with  galling 
chains.  What  lady  but  would  be  too  happy 
to  be  honored  with  the  love  of  Count  Fernan 
Gonzalez  ;  and  thou  hast  scorned  it !  How 
will  it  tell  for  thy  fame  in  future  times,  that 
thou  wast  made  a  snare  to  capture  an  honor 
able  knight ;  that  the  gentlest,  the  bravest, 
the  most  generous  of  cavaliers  was  inveigled 
by  the  love  of  thee  to  be  thrown  into  a  dun 
geon  ?  How  hast  thou  reversed  the  maxims  of 
chivalry  !  Beauty  has  ever  been  the  friend 
of  valor ;  but  thou  hast  been  its  foe  !  The 
fair  hands  of  lovely  dames  have  ever  bestowed 
laurels  and  rewards  on  those  gallant  knights 
who  sought  and  deserved  their  loves ;  thou 


Spanfeb  papers 


liast  bestowed  chains  and  a  dungeon.  Behold, 
the  Moors  rejoice  in  his  captivity,  while  all 
Christians  mourn.  Thy  name  will  be  accursed 
throughout  the  land  like  that  of  Cava  ;  but 
shouldst  thou  have  the  heroism  to  set  him 
free,  thou  wilt  be  extolled  above  all  Spanish 
ladies.  Hadst  thou  but  seen  him  as  I  have 
done,  alone,  abandoned,  enchained  ;  yet  so 
noble,  so  courteous,  so  heroic  in  his  chains, 
that  kings  upon  their  thrones  might  envy  the 
majesty  of  his  demeanor.  If  thou  couldst  feel 
love  for  man,  thou  shouldst  do  it  for  this 
knight  ;  for  I  swear  to  thee  on  this  cross 
which  I  bear,  that  never  was  there  king 
or  emperor  in  the  world  so  worthy  of  woman's 
love."  When  the  pilgrim  count  had  thus 
spoken,  he  left  the  princess  to  meditate  upon 
his  words. 


Cbapter  £1* 

Of  the  Meditations  of  the  Princess,  and  their  Result 
— Her  Flight  from  the  Prison  with  the  Count,  and 
Perils  of  the  Escape — The  Nuptials. 

THB  Princess  Sancha  remained  for  some 
time  in  the  garden,  revolving  in  her 
mind  all  that  she  had  just  heard,  and 
tenderness  for  the  Count  Fernan  Gon 
zalez  began  to  awaken  in  her  bosom  ;  for  noth 
ing  so  touches  the  heart  of  woman  as  the  idea 
of  valor  suffering  for  her  sake.     The  more  the 
princess  meditated  the  more  she  became  en 
amoured.    She  called  to  mind  all  she  had  heard 
of  the  illustrious   actions  of  the  count.     She 
thought  upon  the  pictures  just  drawn  of  him 
in  prison — so  noble,  so  majestic  in  his  chains. 
She   remembered    the  parting   words   of   the 
pilgrim    count — "Never  was  there   king    or 
emperor    so    worthy    of   a    woman's    love." 
"Alas!"  cried  she,   "was  there  ever  a  lady 
more  unfortunate  than  I  ?     All  the  love  and 
devotion  of  this  noble  cavalier  I  might  have 
191 


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had,  and  behold  it  has  been  made  a  mockery. 
Both  he  and  myself  have  been  wronged  by  the 
treachery  of  my  brother. ' ' 

At  length  the  passion  of  the  princess  arose 
to  such  a  height  that  she  determined  to  de 
liver  the  count  from  the  misery  of  which  she 
had  been  made  the  instrument.  So  she  found 
means  one  night  to  bribe  the  guards  of  his 
prison,  and  made  her  way  to  his  dungeon. 
When  the  count  saw  her,  he  thought  it  a  beau 
tiful  vision,  or  some  angel  sent  from  heaven 
to  comfort  him,  for  certainly  her  beauty  sur 
passed  the  ordinary  loveliness  of  woman. 

1  *  Noble  cavalier, ' '  said  the  princess,  * '  this 
is  no  time  for  idle  words  and  ceremonies.  Be 
hold  before  you  the  Princess  Dona  Sancha ; 
the  word  which  my  brother  brake  I  am  here  to 
fulfil.  You  came  to  receive  my  hand,  and,  in 
stead,  you  were  thrown  in  chains.  I  come  to 
yield  you  that  hand,  and  to  deliver  you  from 
those  chains.  Behold,  the  door  of  your  prison 
is  open,  and  I  am  ready  to  fly  with  you  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth.  Swear  to  me  one  word, 
and  when  you  have  sworn  it,  I  know  your 
loyalty  too  well  to  doubt  that  you  will  hold 
your  oath  sacred.  Swear  that  if  I  fly  with 
you,  you  will  treat  me  with  the  honor  of  a 
knight ;  that  you  will  make  me  your  wife,  and 
never  leave  me  for  any  other  woman." 


ffernan  (Soivjales  193 


The  count  swore  all  this  on  the  faith  of  a 
Christian  cavalier  ;  and  well  did  he  feel  dis 
posed  to  keep  his  oath,  for  never  before  had 
he  beheld  such  glorious  beauty. 

So  the  princess  led  the  way,  and  her  author 
ity  and  her  money  had  conquered  the  fidelity 
of  the  guards,  so  that  they  permitted  the 
count  to  sally  forth  with  her  from  the  prison. 

It  was  a  dark  night,  and  they  left  the  great 
road  and  climbed  a  mountain.  The  count  was 
so  fettered  by  his  chains  that  he  moved  with 
difficulty,  but  the  princess  helped  and  some 
times  almost  carried  him ;  for  what  will  not 
delicate  woman  perform  when  her  love  and 
pity  are  fully  aroused.  Thus  they  toiled  on 
their  way  until  the  day  dawned,  when  they 
hid  themselves  in  the  cliffs  of  the  mountain, 
among  rocks  and  thickets.  While  thus  con 
cealed  they  beheld  an  archpriest  of  the  castle, 
mounted  on  a  mule  with  a  falcon  on  his  fist, 
hawking  about  the  lower  part  of  the  mountain. 
The  count  knew  him  to  be  a  base  and  malig 
nant  man,  and  watched  his  movements  with 
great  anxiety.  He  had  two  hounds  beating 
about  the  bushes,  which  at  length  got  upon 
the  traces  of  the  count  and  princess,  and  dis 
covering  them  set  up  a  violent  barking. 
Alighting  from  his  mule,  the  archpriest  clam 
bered  up  to  where  the  fugitives  were  concealed. 
13 


194  Spanfsb 


He  knew  the  count,  and  saw  that  he  had  es 
caped.  "  Aha  !  traitor,"  cried  he,  drawing  his 
sword,  ' '  think  not  to  escape  from  the  power  of 
the  king. ' '  The  count  saw  that  resistance  was 
in  vain,  for  he  was  without  weapons  and  in 
chains,  and  the  archpriest  was  a  powerful  man, 
exceeding  broad  across  the  shoulders ;  he 
sought,  therefore,  to  win  him  by  fair  words, 
promising  that  if  he  would  aid  him  to  escape 
he  would  give  him  a  city  in  Castile,  for  him 
and  his  heirs  forever.  But  the  archpriest  was 
more  violent  than  ever,  and  held  his  sword  at 
the  breast  of  the  count  to  force  him  back  to 
the  castle.  Upon  this  the  princess  rushed  for 
ward,  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes  implored  him 
not  to  deliver  the  count  into  the  hands  of  his 
enemies.  But  the  heart  of  the  priest  was  in 
flamed  by  the  beauty  of  the  princess,  and 
thinking  her  at  his  mercy,  ' '  Gladly, ' '  said  he, 
"will  I  assist  the  count  to  escape,  but  upon 
one  condition."  Then  he  whispered  a  pro 
posal  which  brought  a  crimson  glow  of  horror 
and  indignation  into  the  cheeks  of  the  princess, 
and  he  would  have  laid  his  hand  upon  her, 
but  he  was  suddenly  lifted  from  the  earth  by 
the  strong  grasp  of  the  count,  who  bore  him  to 
the  edge  of  a  precipice  and  flung  him  head 
long  down ;  and  his  neck  was  broken  in  the 
fall. 


3fernan  <3oti3ale3  195 


The  count  then  took  the  mule  of  the  arch- 
priest,  his  hawk,  and  his  hounds,  and  after 
keeping  in  the  secret  parts  of  the  mountain 
all  day,  he  and  the  princess  mounted  the  mule 
at  night,  arid  pursued  their  way,  by  the  most 
rugged  and  unfrequented  passes,  towards  Cas 
tile. 

As  the  day  dawned  they  found  themselves 
in  an  open  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
and  beheld  a  body  of  horsemen  riding  towards 
them,  conducting  a  car,  in  which  sat  a  knight 
in  armor,  bearing  a  standard.  The  princess 
now  gave  all  up  for  lost.  "  These,"  said  she, 
' '  are  sent  by  my  brother  in  pursuit  of  us  ; 
how  can  we  escape,  for  this  poor  animal  has 
no  longer  strength  nor  speed  to  bear  us  up 
the  mountains?"  Upon  this  Count  Fernan 
alighted,  and  drawing  the  sword  of  the  arch- 
priest,  placed  himself  in  a  narrow  pass.  '  *  Do 
you,"  said  he  to  the  princess,  "  turn  back  and 
hasten  to  the  mountains,  and  dearly  shall  it 
cost  him  who  attempts  to  follow  you."  •"  Not 
so, ' '  replied  the  princess  ;  ' '  for  the  love  of  me 
hast  thou  been  brought  from  thine  own  domain 
and  betrayed  into  all  these  dangers,  and  I  will 
abide  to  share  them  with  thee." 

The  count  would  have  remonstrated,  when 
to  his  astonishment  he  saw,  as  the  car  drew 
near,  that  the  knight  seated  in  it  was  clad  in 


Spanisb  papers 


his  own  armor,  with  his  own  devices,  and  held 
his  own  banner  in  his  hand.  "Surely,"  said 
he,  crossing  himself,  "this  is  enchantment"  ; 
but  on  looking  still  nearer,  he  recognized  among 
the  horsemen  Nuiio  Sandias  and  Nuno  I^aynez, 
two  of  his  most  faithful  knights.  Then  his 
heart  leaped  for  joy.  "Fear  nothing,"  cried 
he  to  the  princess  ;  "behold  my  standard,  and 
behold  my  vassals.  Those  whom  you  feared 
as  enemies  shall  kneel  at  your  feet  and  kiss 
your  hand  in  homage. ' ' 

Now  so  it  appears  that  the  tidings  of  the 
captivity  of  the  count  had  spread  mourning 
and  consternation  throughout  Castile,  and  the 
cavaliers  assembled  together  to  devise  means 
for  his  deliverance.  And  certain  of  them  had 
prepared  this  effigy  of  the  count,  clad  in  his 
armor  and  bearing  his  banner  and  devices,  and 
having  done  homage  and  sworn  fealty  to  it  as 
they  would  have  done  to  the  count  himself, 
they  had  placed  it  in  his  car  and  set  forth  with 
it  as  a  leader,  making  a  vow,  in  the  spirit  of 
ancient  chivalry,  never  to  return  to  their  homes 
until  they  should  have  delivered  the  count 
from  his  captivity. 

When  the  cavaliers  recognized  the  count, 
they  put  up  shouts  of  joy,  and  kissed  his  hands 
and  the  hands  of  the  princess  in  token  of 
devoted  loyalty.  And  they  took  off  the  fetters 


tfernan 


197 


of  the  count  and  placed  him  in  the  car,  and 
the  princess  beside  him,  and  returned  joyfully 
to  Castile. 

Vain  would  be  the  attempt  to  describe  the 
transports  of  the  multitude  as  Count  Fernan 
Gonzalez  entered  his  noble  capital  of  Burgos. 
The  Princess  Sancha,  also,  was  hailed  with 
blessings  wherever  she  passed,  as  the  deliverer 
of  their  lord  and  the  savior  of  Castile,  and 
shortly  afterwards  her  nuptials  with  the  count 
were  celebrated  with  feasting  and  rejoicing 
and  tilts  and  tournament,  which  lasted  for 
many  days. 


Cbapter  £  if. 

King  Garcia  Confined  in  Burgos  by  the  Count — The 
Princess  Intercedes  for  his  Release. 

THK  rejoicings  for  the  marriage  of  Count 
Fernan   Gonzalez   with   the   beautiful 
Princess  Sancha  were  scarcely  finished 
when  King  Garcia  the  Trembler  came 
with  a  powerful  army  to  revenge  his  various 
affronts.     The  count  sallied  forth  to  meet  him, 
and  a  bloody  and  doubtful  battle  ensued.    The 
Navarrese  at  length  were  routed  and  the  king 
was  wounded   and   taken   prisoner  in   single 
combat  by  Count  Fernan,  who  brought  him  to 
Burgos  and  put  him  in  close  confinement. 

The  Countess  Dona  Sancha  was  now  almost 
as  much  afflicted  at  the  captivity  of  her  brother 
as  she  had  been  at  that  of  the  count,  and  inter 
ceded  with  her  husband  for  his  release.  The 
count,  however,  retained  too  strong  a  recollec 
tion  of  the  bad  faith  of  King  Garcia  and  of  his 
own  treacherous  and  harsh  imprisonment  to  be 
198 


Sfernan 


199 


easily  moved,  and  the  king  was  kept  in  du 
ress  for  a  considerable  time.  The  countess 
then  interested  the  principal  cavaliers  in  her 
suit,  reminding  them  of  the  services  she  had 
rendered  them  in  aiding  the  escape  of  their 
lord.  Through  their  united  intercessions  the 
count  was  induced  to  relent ;  so  King  Garcia 
the  Trembler  was  released  and  treated  with 
great  honor,  and  sent  back  to  his  dominions 
with  a  retinue  befitting  his  rank. 


Cbapter 


Of  the  Expedition  against  the  Ancient  City  of  Sylo— 
The  Unwitting  Trespass  of  the  Count  into  a  Con 
vent,  and  his  Compunctions  thereupon. 

VOLUMES  would  it  take  to  follow  the 
Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  in  his  heroic 
achievements    against    the  infidels,  — 
achievements  which  give  to  sober  his 
tory  almost  the  air  of  fable.     I  forbear  to  dwell 
at  large  upon  one  of  his  campaigns,  wherein  he 
scoured  the  valley  of  I^aguna  ;  passed  victori 
ously  along  the  banks  of  the  Douro,  building 
towers  and  castles  to  keep  the  country  in  sub 
jection  ;  how  he  scaled  the  walls  of  the  castle 
of  Ormaz,  being  the  first  to*  mount,  sword  in 
hand  ;  how  by  the  valor  of  his  arm  he  captured 
the  city  of  Orma  ;  how  he  took  the  town  of 
Sandoval,  the  origin  of  the  cavaliers  of  Sando- 
val,  who  were  anciently  called  Salvadores  ;  how 
he  made  an  inroad  even  to  Madrid,   then   a 
200 


ffernan  <5oti3ale3  201 


strongly  fortified  village,  and  having  taken  and 
sacked  it,  returned  in  triumph  to  Burgos. 

But  it  would  be  wronging  the  memory  of 
this  great  and  good  cavalier  to  pass  in  silence 
over  one  of  his  exploits,  in  which  he  gave  a 
singular  instance  of  his  piety.  This  was  in 
an  expedition  against  the  ancient  city  of  Sylo. 
It  was  not  a  place  of  much  value  in  itself, 
being  situated  in  a  cold  and  sterile  country, 
but  it  had  become  a  stronghold  of  the  Moors, 
whence  they  carried  on  their  warfare.  This 
place  the  count  carried  by  assault,  entering  it 
in  full  armor,  on  his  steed,  overturning  and 
slaying  all  who  opposed  him.  In  the  fury  of 
his  career  he  rode  into  a  spacious  edifice  which 
he  supposed  to  be  a  mosque,  with  the  pious 
intention  of  slaying  every  infidel  he  might 
find  within.  On  looking  round,  however, 
great  was  his  astonishment  at  beholding  images 
of  saints,  the  blessed  cross  of  our  Saviour,  and 
various  other  sacred  objects,  which  announced 
a  church  devoted  to  the  veritable  faith.  Struck 
with  remorse,  he  sprang  from  his  horse,  threw 
himself  upon  his  knees,  and  with  many  tears 
implored  pardon  of  God  for  the  sin  he  had 
unknowingly  committed.  While  he  was  yet 
on  his  knees,  several  monks  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Dominic  approached,  meagre  in  looks  and 
squalid  in  attire,  but  hailing  him  with  great 


202  Spanfsb 


joy  as  their  deliverer.  In  sooth  this  was  a 
convent  of  San  Sebastian,  the  fraternity  of 
which  had  remained  captives  among  the 
Moors,  supporting  themselves  poorly  by  mak 
ing  baskets,  but  permitted  to  continue  in  the 
exercise  of  their  religion. 

Still  filled  with  pious  compunction  for  the 
trespass  he  had  made,  the  count  ordered  that 
the  shoes  should  be  taken  from  his  horse  and 
nailed  upon  the  door  of  the  church  ;  for  never, 
said  he,  shall  they  tread  any  other  ground 
after  having  trodden  this  holy  place.  From 
that  day,  we  are  told,  it  has  been  the  custom 
to  nail  the  shoes  of  horses  on  the  portal  of  that 
convent  —  a  custom  which  has  extended  to 
many  other  places. 

The  worthy  Fray  Prudencia  de  Sandoval 
records  a  marvellous  memento  of  the  expedition 
of  the  count  against  this  city,  which  remained, 
he  says,  until  his  day.  Not  far  from  the  place, 
on  the  road  which  passes  by  Lara,  is  to  be  seen 
the  print  of  his  horse's  hoofs  in  a  solid  rock, 
which  has  received  the  impression  as  though 
it  had  been  made  in  softened  wax.*  It  is  to 
be  presumed  that  the  horse's  hoofs  had  been 
gifted  with  miraculous  hardness  in  reward  to 
the  count  for  his  pious  oblation  of  the  shoes. 
*  Sandoval,  p.  313. 


Cbapter 

Of  the  Moorish  Host  that  Came  up  from  Cordova,  and 
how  the  Count  Repaired  to  the  Hermitage  of  San 
Pedro,  and  Prayed  for  Success  against  them,  and 
Received  Assurance  of  Victory  in  a  Vision — Battle 
of  Hazinas. 

THE  worthy  Fray  Antonio  Agapida,  from 
whose  manuscripts  this  memoir  is  ex 
tracted,  passes  by  many  of  the  striking 
and  heroic  deeds  of  the  count,  which 
crowd  the  pages  of  ancient  chroniclers ;  but 
the  good  friar  ever  is  sure  to  dwell  with  delight 
upon    any  of   those    miraculous    occurrences 
which  took  place  in  Spain  in  those  days,  and 
which   showed    the  marked  interposition   of 
Heaven  in  behalf  of  the  Christian  warriors  in 
their  battles  with  the  infidels.     Such  was  the 
renowned  battle  of  Hazinas,  which,  says  Aga 
pida,  for  its   miraculous   events  is  worthy  of 
eternal  blazon. 

Now  so  it  was  that  the  Moorish  king  of 
Cordova  had  summoned  all  the  faithful,  both 
203 


204  Spanfsb  papers 


of  Spain  and  Africa,  to  assist  him  in  recover 
ing  the  lands  wrested  from  him  by  the 
unbelievers,  and  especially  by  Count  Fenian 
Gonzalez  in  his  late  victories  ;  and  such  count 
less  legions  of  turbaned  warriors  were  assem 
bled  that  it  was  said  they  covered  the  plains 
of  Andalusia  like  swarms  of  locusts. 

Hearing  of  their  threatening  approach,  the 
count  gathered  together  his  forces  at  Piedra- 
fita,  while  the  Moors  encamped  in  Hazinas. 
When,  however,  he  beheld  the  mighty  host 
arrayed  against  him,  his  heart  for  once  was 
troubled  with  evil  forebodings,  and  calling  to 
mind  the  cheering  prognostications  of  the  friar 
Pelayo  on  a  like  occasion,  he  resolved  to  repair 
again  to  that  holy  man  for  counsel.  Leaving 
his  camp,  therefore,  secretly,  he  set  out,  accom 
panied  by  two  cavaliers,  to  seek  the  chapel 
which  he  had  ordered  to  be  built  at  the  her 
mitage  of  San  Pedro,  on  the  mountain  over 
hanging  the  river  Arlanza,  but  when  arrived 
there  he  heard  to  his  great  grief  that  the 
worthy  friar  was  dead. 

Entering  the  chapel,  however,  he  knelt  down 
at  the  altar  and  prayed  for  success  in  the  com 
ing  fight ;  humbly  representing  that  he  had 
never,  like  many  of  the  kings  and  nobles  of 
Spain,  done  homage  to  the  infidels  and  ac 
knowledged  them  for  sovereigns.  The  count 


ffernan  <Bon3ale3  205 


remained  a  long  time  at  prayer,  until  sleep 
gradually  stole  over  him  ;  and  as  he  lay  slum 
bering  before  the  altar  the  holy  Fray  Pelayo 
appeared  before  him  in  a  vision,  clad  in  gar 
ments  as  white  as  snow.  '  *  Why  sleepest  thou, 
Fernan  Gonzalez  ? ' '  said  he  ;  * '  arise,  and  go 
forth,  and  know  that  thou  shalt  conquer  those 
Moors.  For,  inasmuch  as  thou  art  a  faithful 
vassal  of  the  Most  High,  he  has  commanded 
the  Apostle  San  lago  and  myself,  with  many 
angels,  to  come  to  thy  aid,  and  we  will  appear 
in  the  battle  clad  in  white  armor,  with  each  of 
us  a  red  cross  upon  our  pennon.  Therefore 
arise,  I  say,  and  go  hence  with  a  valiant 
heart." 

The  count  awoke,  and  while  he  was  yet 
musing  upon  the  vision  he  heard  a  voice  say 
ing  :  * '  Arise,  and  get  thee  hence ;  why  dost 
thou  linger  ?  Separate  thy  host  into  three 
divisions  :  enter  the  field  of  battle  by  the  east, 
with  the  smallest  division,  and  I  will  be  with 
thee  ;  and  let  the  second  division  enter  by  the 
west,  and  that  shall  be  aided  by  San  lago  ;  and 
let  the  third  division  enter  by  the  north. 
Know  that  I  am  San  Millan  who  come  to  thee 
with  this  message." 

The  count  departed  joyfully  from  the  chapel, 
and  returned  to  his  army  ;  and  when  he  told 
his  troops  of  this,  his  second  visit  to  the  her- 


206  Spanfsb  papers 


mitage,  and  of  the  vision  he  had  had,  and  how 
the  holy  friar  San  Pelayo  had  again  assured 
him  of  victory,  their  hearts  were  lifted  up,  and 
they  rejoiced  to  serve  under  a  leader  who  had 
such  excellent  counsellors  in  war. 

In  the  evening  preceding  the  battle  Don 
Fernan  Gonzalez  divided  his  forces  as  he  had 
been  ordered.  The  first  division  was  com 
posed  of  two  hundred  horsemen  and  six  thou 
sand  infantry  ;  hardy  *  mountaineers,  light  of 
foot  and  of  great  valor.  In  the  advance  were 
Don  Gustios  Gonzalez  of  Salas,  and  his  seven 
sons  and  two  nephews,  and  his  brother  Ruy 
Velasquez,  and  a  valiant  cavalier  named  Gon- 
zalo  Dias. 

The  second  division  was  led  by  Don  L,ope 
de  Biscaya,  with  the  people  of  Burueba  and 
Trevino,  and  Old  Castile  and  Castro  and  the 
Asturias.  Two  hundred  horsemen  and  six 
thousand  infantry. 

The  third  division  was  led  by  the  count  him 
self,  and  with  him  went  Ruy  Cavia,  and  Nuno 
Cavia  and  the  Velascos,  whom  the  count  that 
day  dubbed  knights,  and  twenty  esquires  of 
the  count,  whom  he  had  likewise  knighted. 
His  division  consisted  of  four  hundred  and  fifty 
horse  and  fifteen  hundred  foot  ;  and  he  told 
his  men  that  if  they  should  not  conquer  the 
Moors  on  the  following  day,  they  should  draw 


ffernan  <Son3ale3  207 


off  from  the  battle  when  he  gave  the  word. 
Late  at  night,  when  all  the  camp,  excepting 
the  sentinels  and  guards,  were  buried  in  sleep, 
a  light  suddenly  illumed  the  heavens,  and  a 
great  serpent  was  seen  in  the  air,  wounded  and 
covered  with  blood,  and  vomiting  flames,  and 
making  a  loud  hissing  that  awakened  all  the 
soldiers.  They  rushed  out  of  their  tents,  and 
ran  hither  and  thither,  running  against  each 
other  in  their  affright.  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez 
was  awakened  by  their  outcries,  but  before  he 
came  forth  the  serpent  had  disappeared.  He 
rebuked  the  terrors  of  his  people,  representing 
to  them  that  the  Moors  were  great  necroman 
cers,  and  by  their  arts  could  raise  devils  to  their 
aid ;  and  that  some  Moorish  astrologer  had 
doubtless  raised  this  spectrum  to  alarm  them  ; 
but  he  bade  them  to  be  of  good  heart,  since 
they  had  San  lago  on  their  side,  and  might  set 
Moor,  astrologer,  and  devil  at  defiance. 

In  the  first  day's  fight  Don  Fernan  fought 
hand  to  hand  with  a  powerful  Moor,  who  had 
desired  to  try  his  prowess  with  him.  It  was 
an  obstinate  contest,  in  which  the  Moor  was 
slain  ;  but  the  count  was  so  badly  wounded 
that  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and  had  not  his  men 
surrounded  and  defended  him,  he  would  have 
been  slain  or  captured.  The  battle  lasted  all 
day  long,  and  Gustios  Gonzalez  and  his  kindred 


208  Spanisb  papers 


warriors  showed  prodigies  of  valor.  Don  Fer- 
nan,  having  had  his  wounds  stanched,  re 
mounted  his  horse  and  galloped  about,  giving 
courage  to  his  men  ;  but  he  was  covered  with 
dust  and  blood,  and  so  hoarse  that  he  could  no 
longer  be  heard.  The  sun  went  down,  the 
Moors  kept  on  fighting,  confiding  in  their  great 
numbers.  The  count,  seeing  the  night  ap 
proaching,  ordered  the  trumpets  to  be  sounded, 
and,  collecting  his  troops,  made  one  general 
charge  on  the  Moors,  and  drove  them  from  the 
field.  He  then  drew  off  his  men  to  their  tents, 
where  the  weary  troops  found  refreshment  and 
repose,  though  they  slept  all  night  upon  their 
arms. 

On  the  second  day  the  count  rose  before  the 
dawn,  and  having  attended  mass  like  a  good 
Christian,  attended  next  to  his  horses,  like  a 
good  cavalier,  seeing  with  his  own  eyes  that 
they  were  well  fed  and  groomed,  and  prepared 
for  the  field.  The  battle  this  day  was  obstinate 
as  the  day  before,  with  great  valor  and  loss  on 
either  side. 

On  the  third  day  the  count  led  forth  his 
forces  at  an  early  hour,  raising  his  silver  stand 
ard  of  the  cross,  and  praying  devoutly  for  aid. 
Then  lowering  their  lances,  the  Castilians 
shouted  "  San  lago  !  San  lago  !  "  and  rushed 
to  the  attack. 


ffernan  Gott3alc3  209 


Don  Gustios  Gonzalo  de  Salas,  the  leader  of 
one  of  the  divisions  made  a  lane  into  the  cen 
tre  of  the  Moorish  host,  dealing  death  on  either 
side.  He  was  met  by  a  Moorish  cavalier  of 
powerful  frame.  Covering  themselves  with 
their  shields,  they  attacked  each  other  with 
great  fury  ;  but  the  days  of  Gustios  Gonzalo 
were  numbered,  and  the  Moor  slew  him,  and 
with  him  fell  a  nephew  of  Count  Fernan,  and 
many  of  his  principal  cavaliers. 

Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  encountered  the 
Moor  who  had  just  slain  his  friend.  The  infi 
del  would  have  avoided  him,  having  heard  that 
never  man  escaped  alive  from  a  conflict  with 
him  ;  but  the  count  gave  him  a  furious  thrust 
with  his  lance,  which  stretched  him  dead  upon 
the  field. 

The  Moors,  however,  continued  to  press  the 
count  sorely,  and  their  numbers  threatened  to 
overwhelm  him.  Then  he  put  up  a  prayer  for 
the  aid  promised  in  his  vision,  and  of  a  sudden 
the  Apostle  San  lago  appeared,  with  a  great 
and  shining  company  of  angels  in  white,  bear 
ing  the  device  of  a  red  cross,  and  all  rushing 
upon  the  Moors.  The  Moors  were  dismayed 
at  the  sight  of  this  reinforcement  to  the  enemy. 
The  Christians,  on  the  other  hand,  recovered 
their  forces,  knowing  the  Apostle  San  lago  to 
be  at  hand.  They  charged  the  Moors  with  new 


210 


Spanisb  papers 


vigor,  and  put  them  to  flight,  and  pursued 
them  for  two  days,  killing  and  making  captive. 
They  then  returned  and  gathered  together  the 
bodies  of  the  Christians  who  had  been  slain, 
and  buried  them  in  the  chapel  of  San  Pedro  of 
Arlanza  and  in  other  hermitages.  The  bodies 
of  the  Moors  were  piled  up  and  covered  with 
earth,  forming  a  mound  which  is  still  to  be 
seen  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Some  have  ascribed  to  the  signal  worn  in 
this  battle  by  the  celestial  warriors  the  origin 
of  the  Cross  of  Calatrava. 


Cbapter 


The  Count  Imprisoned  by  the  King  of  I/eon  —  The 
Countess  Concerts  his  Escape  —  Leon  and  Castile 
United  by  the  Marriage  of  the  Prince  Ordono  with 
Urraca,  the  Daughter  of  the  Count  by  his  First 
Wife. 

NOT  long  after  this  most  renowned  and 
marvellous  battle,  a  Moorish  captain 
named  Aceyfa  became  a  vassal  of  the 
Count  Don  Fernan.     Under  his  pro 
tection,  and  that  of  a  rich  and  powerful  Cas- 
tilian  cavalier  named  Diego  Mufion,  he  rebuilt 
Salamanca  and  I^edesma,  and  several  places  on 
the  river  Tormes,  which  had  been  desolated 
and  deserted  in  times  past. 

Ramiro  the  Second,  who  was  at  this  time 
King  of  ]>on,  was  alarmed  at  seeing  a  strong 
line  of  Moorish  fortresses  erected  along  the 
borders  of  his  territories,  and  took  the  field 
with  an  army  to  drive  the  Moor  Aceyfa  from 
the  land.  The  proud  spirit  of  Count  Fernan 

211 


212  Spanisb  papers 


Gonzalez  was  aroused  at  this  attack  upon  his 
Moorish  vassal,  which  he  considered  an  indig 
nity  offered  to  himself ;  so  being  seconded  by 
Don  Diego  Munon,  he  marched  forth  with  his 
chivalry  to  protect  the  Moor.  In  the  present 
instance  he  had  trusted  to  his  own  head,  and 
had  neglected  to  seek  advice  of  saint  or  her 
mit  ;  so  his  army  was  defeated  by  King  Ra- 
miro,  and  himself  and  Don  Diego  Munon  taken 
prisoners.  The  latter  was  sent  in  chains  to  the 
castle  of  Gordon  ;  but  the  count  was  carried  to 
L,eon,  where  he  was  confined  in  a  tower  of  the 
wall,  which  to  this  day  is  pointed  out  as  his 
prison.* 

All  Castile  was  thrown  into  grief  and  con 
sternation  by  this  event,  and  lamentations  were 
heard  throughout  the  land,  as  though  the  count 
had  been  dead.  The  countess,  however,  did 
not  waste  time  in  idle  tears,  for  she  was  a  lady 
of  most  valiant  spirit.  She  forthwith  assem 
bled  five  hundred  cavaliers,  chosen  men  of  tried 
loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  count.  They  met 
in  the  chapel  of  the  palace,  and  took  an  oath 

*  In  the  Cronica  General  de  Espana,  this  imprison 
ment  is  said  to  have  been  by  King  Sancho  the  Fat ; 
but  the  cautious  Agapida  goes  according  to  his  favor 
ite  Sandoval  in  attributing  it  to  King  Ramiro,  and  in 
so  doing  he  is  supported  by  the  Chronicle  of  Bleda,  1. 
3,  c.  19. 


ffernan  <3on3ale3  213 


upon  the  Holy  Evangelists  to  follow  the  coun 
tess  through  all  difficulties  and  dangers,  and  to 
obey  implicitly  all  her  commands  for  the  rescue 
of  their  lord.  With  this  band  the  countess  de 
parted  secretly  at  nightfall,  and  travelled  rap 
idly  until  morning,  when  they  left  the  roads, 
and  took  to  the  mountains,  lest  their  march 
should  be  discovered.  Arrived  near  to  I^eon, 
she  halted  her  band  in  a  thick  wood  in  the 
mountain  of  Samosa,  where  she  ordered  them 
to  remain  in  secrecy.  Then  clothing  herself 
as  a  pilgrim,  with  her  staff  and  pannier,  she 
sent  word  to  King  Ramiro  that  she  was  on  a 
pilgrimage  to  San  lago,  and  entreated  that  she 
might  have  permission  to  visit  her  husband  in 
his  prison.  King  Ramiro  not  merely  granted 
her  request,  but  sallied  forth  above  a  league 
from  the  city  with  a  great  retinue  to  do  her 
honor.  So  the  countess  entered  a  second  time 
the  prison  where  the  count  lay  in  chains,  and 
stood  before  him  as  his  protecting  angel.  At 
sight  of  him  in  this  miserable  and  dishonored 
state,  however,  the  valor  of  spirit  which  had 
hitherto  sustained  her  gave  way,  and  tears 
flowed  from  her  eyes.  The  count  received  her 
joyfully,  and  reproached  her  with  her  tears  ; 
"  for  it  becomes  us,"  said  he,  "  to  submit  to 
what  is  imposed  upon  us  by  God." 
The  countess  now  sent  to  entreat  the  king 


214  Spanfsb  papers 


that  while  she  remained  with  the  count  his 
chains  should  be  taken  off.  The  king  again 
granted  her  request ;  and  the  count  was  freed 
from  his  irons,  and  an  excellent  bed  prepared 
in  his  prison. 

The  countess  remained  with  him  all  night 
and  concerted  his  escape.  Before  it  was  day 
light  she  gave  him  her  pilgrim's  dress  and  staff, 
and  the  count  went  forth  from  his  chamber 
disguised  as  his  wife.  The  porter  at  the  outer 
portal,  thinking  it  to  be  the  countess,  would 
have  waited  for  orders  from  the  king  ;  but  the 
count,  in  a  feigned  voice,  entreated  not  to  be 
detained,  lest  he  should  not  be  able  to  perform 
his  pilgrimage.  The  porter,  mistrusting  no 
deceit,  opened  the  door.  The  count  issued 
forth,  repaired  to  a  place  pointed  out  by  the 
countess,  where  two  cavaliers  awaited  him 
with  a  fleet  horse.  They  all  sallied  quietly 
forth  from  the  city  at  the  opening  of  the  gates, 
until  they  found  themselves  clear  of  the  walls, 
when  they  put  spurs  to  their  horses  and  made 
their  way  to  the  mountain  of  Samosa.  Here 
the  count  was  received  with  shouts  of  joy  by 
the  cavaliers  whom  the  countess  had  left  there 
in  concealment. 

As  the  day  advanced  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
entered  the  apartment  of  Don  Fernan,  but  was 
astonished  to  find  there  the  beautiful  countess 


ff ernan  Gon3alc3  215 


in  place  of  her  warrior  husband.  He  conducted 
her  before  the  king,  accusing  her  of  the  fraud 
by  which  she  had  effected  the  escape  of  the 
count.  King  Ramiro  was  greatly  incensed, 
and  he  demanded  of  the  countess  how  she 
dared  to  do  such  an  act.  "  I  dared,"  replied 
she,  "because  I  saw  my  husband  in  misery, 
and  felt  it  my  duty  to  relieve  him  ;  and  I  dared 
because  I  was  the  daughter  of  a  king,  and  the 
wife  of  a  distinguished  cavalier ;  as  such  I 
trust  to  your  chivalry  to  treat  me. ' ' 

The  king  was  charmed  with  her  intrepidity. 
"  Sefiora,"  said  he,  "  you  have  acted  well  and 
like  a  noble  lady,  and  it  will  redound  to  your 
laud  and  honor."  So  he  commanded  that  she 
should  be  conducted  to  her  husband  in  a  man 
ner  befitting  a  lady  of  high  and  noble  rank ; 
and  the  count  was  overjoyed  to  receive  her  in 
safety,  and  they  returned  to  their  dominions 
and  entered  Burgos  at  the  head  of  their  cav 
aliers,  amidst  the  transports  and  acclamations 
of  their  people.  And  King  Ramiro  sought 
the  amity  of  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  and  pro 
posed  that  they  should  unite  their  houses  by 
some  matrimonial  alliance  which  should  serve 
as  a  bond  of  mutual  security.  The  count 
gladly  listened  to  his  proposals.  He  had  a 
fair  daughter  named  Urraca,  by  his  first  wife, 
who  was  now  arrived  at  a  marriageable  age  ; 


216 


Spanlsb  papers 


so  it  was  agreed  that  nuptials  should  be 
solemnized  between  her  and  the  Prince  Ordoiio, 
son  of  King  Ramiro  ;  and  all  lyeon  and  Castile 
rejoiced  at  this  union,  which  promised  tran 
quillity  to  the  land. 


Cbapter 

Moorish  Incursion  into  Castile — Battle  of  San  Bstevan 
— Of  Pascual  Vivas  and  the  Miracle  that  Befell  him 
—Death  of  Ordono  III. 

FOR  several  succeeding  years  of  the  career 
of  this  most  redoubtable  cavalier,   the 
most  edifying  and  praiseworthy  traces 
which  remain,  says  Fray  Antonio  Aga- 
pida,  are  to  be  found  in  the  archives  of  various 
monasteries,  consisting  of  memorials  of  pious 
gifts  and  endowments  made  by  himself  and  his 
countess,  Dona  Sancha. 

In  the  process  of  time  King  Ramiro  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Ordono  III.,  the 
same  who  had  married  Urraca,  the  daughter 
of  Count  Fernan.  He  was  surnamed  the 
Fierce,  either  from  his  savage  temper  or  savage 
aspect.  He  had  a  step-brother  named  Don 
Sancho,  nephew,  by  the  mother's  side,  of  King 
Garcia  of  Navarre,  surnamed  the  Trembler. 
This  Don  Saucho  rose  in  arms  against  Ordono 
217 


2i8  Spanfsb  papers 


at  the  very  outset  of  his  reign,  seeking  to  de 
prive  him  of  his  crown.  He  applied  for  assis 
tance  to  his  uncle  Garcia  and  to  Count  Fernan 
Gonzalez,  and  it  is  said  both  favored  his  pre 
tensions.  Nay,  the  count  appeared  in  the  field 
in  company  with  King  Garcia  the  Trembler, 
in  support  of  Prince  Sancho.  It  may  seem 
strange  that  he  should  take  up  arms  against 
his  own  son-in-law  ;  and  so  it  certainly  ap 
peared  to  Ordono  III.,  for  he  was  so  incensed 
against  the  count  that  he  repudiated  his  wife 
Urraca  and  sent  her  back  to  her  father,  telling 
him  that  since  he  would  not  acknowledge  him 
as  king,  he  should  not  have  him  for  son-in-law. 

The  kingdom  now  became  a  prey  to  civil 
wars  ;  the  restless  part  of  the  subjects  of  King 
Ordono  rose  in  rebellion,  and  everything  was 
in  confusion.  King  Ordono  succeeded,  how 
ever,  in  quelling  the  rebellion,  and  defended 
himself  so  ably  against  King  Garcia  and  Count 
Fernan  Gonzalez,  that  they  returned  home 
without  effecting  their  object. 

About  this  time,  say  the  records  of  Compos- 
tello,  the  sinful  dissensions  of  the  Christians 
brought  on  them  a  visible  and  awful  scourge 
from  Heaven.  A  great  flame,  or,  as  it  were,  a 
cloud  of  fire,  passed  throughout  the  land,  burn 
ing  towns,  destroying  men  and  beasts,  and 
spreading  horror  and  devastation  even  over 


jfernan  <3oti3ale3  219 


the  sea.  It  passed  over  Zamora,  consuming  a 
great  part  of  the  place ;  it  scorched  Castro 
Xerez  likewise,  and  Brebiesco  and  Pan  Corvo 
in  its  progress,  and  in  Burgos  one  hundred 
houses  were  consumed. 

"  These,"  said  the  worthy  Agapida,  "  were 
fiery  tokens  of  the  displeasure  of  Heaven  at  the 
sinful  conduct  of  the  Christians  in  warring 
upon  each  other,  instead  of  joining  their  arms 
like  brethren  in  the  righteous  endeavor  to 
extirpate  the  vile  sect  of  Mahomet. ' ' 

While  the  Christians  were  thus  fighting 
among  themselves,  the  Moors,  taking  advan 
tage  of  their  discord,  came  with  a  great  army, 
and  made  an  incursion  into  Castile  as  far  as 
Burgos.  King  Ordono  and  Count  Fernan 
Gonzalez,  alarmed  at  the  common  danger, 
came  to  a  reconciliation,  and  took  arms  to 
gether  against  the  Moors ;  though  it  does  not 
appear  that  the  king  received  again  his  repudi 
ated  wife  Urraca.  These  confederate  princes 
gave  the  Moors  a  great  battle  near  to  San 
Estevan.  "This  battle,"  says  Fray  Antonio 
Agapida,  "  is  chiefly  memorable  for  a  miracle 
which  occurred  there,"  and  which  is  recorded 
by  the  good  friar  with  an  unction  and  perfect 
credence  worthy  of  a  monkish  chronicler. 

The  Christians  were  incastellated  at  San 
Estevan  de  Gormaz,  which  is  near  the  banks 


220  Spaniab  papers 


of  the  Douro.  The  Moors  had  possession  of 
the  fortress  of  Gorinaz,  about  a  league  farther 
up  the  river  on  a  lofty  and  rocky  height. 

The  battle  commenced  at  the  dawn  of  day. 
Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  however,  before  tak 
ing  the  field,  repaired  with  his  principal  cava 
liers  to  the  church,  to  attend  the  first  morning's 
mass.  Now,  at  this  time,  there  was  in  the 
service  of  the  count  a  brave  cavalier  named 
Pascual  Vivas,  who  was  as  pious  as  he  was 
brave,  and  would  pray  with  as  much  fervor 
and  obstinacy  as  he  would  fight.  This  cavalier 
made  it  a  religious  rule  with  himself,  or  rather 
had  made  a  solemn  vow,  that,  whenever  he 
entered  a  church  in  the  morning,  he  would  on 
no  account  leave  it  until  all  the  masses  were 
finished. 

On  the  present  occasion  the  firmness  of  this 
brave  but  pious  cavalier  was  put  to  a  severe 
proof.  When  the  first  mass  was  finished,  the 
count  and  his  cavaliers  rose  and  sallied  from 
the  church  in  clanking  armor,  and  soon  after 
the  sound  of  trumpet  and  quick  tramp  of  steed 
told  that  they  were  off  to  the  encounter.  Pas 
cual  Vivas,  however,  remained  kneeling  all  in 
armor  before  the  altar,  waiting,  according  to 
custom,  until  all  the  masses  should  be  finished. 
The  masses  that  morning  were  numerous,  and 
hour  after  hour  passed  away  ;  yet  still  the 


ffernon  (5onsale3  221 


cavalier  remained  kneeling  all  in  armor,  with 
weapon  in  hand,  yet  so  zealous  in  his  devotion 
that  he  never  turned  his  head. 

All  this  while  the  esquire  of  the  cavalier 
was  at  the  door  of  the  church,  holding  his  war- 
horse,  and  the  esquire  beheld  with  surprise  the 
count  and  his  warriors  depart,  while  his  lord 
remained  in  the  chapel  ;  and,  from  the  height 
on  which  the  chapel  stood,  he  could  see  the 
Christian  host  encounter  the  Moors  at  the  ford 
of  the  river,  and  could  hear  the  distant  sound 
of  trumpets  and  din  of  battle  ;  and  at  the  sound 
the  war-horse  pricked  his  ears  and  snuffed  the 
air  and  pawed  the  earth,  and  showed  all  the 
eagerness  of  a  noble  steed  to  be  among  the 
armed  men,  but  still  Pascual  Vivas  came  not 
out  of  the  chapel.  The  esquire  was  wroth, 
and  blushed  for  his  lord,  for  he  thought  it  was 
through  cowardice  and  not  piety  that  he  re 
mained  in  the  chapel  while  his  comrades  were 
fighting  in  the  field. 

At  length  the  masses  were  finished,  and 
Pascual  Vivas  was  about  to  sally  forth  when 
horsemen  came  riding  up  the  hill  with  shouts 
of  victory,  for  the  battle  was  over  and  the 
Moors  completely  vanquished. 

When  Pascual  Vivas  heard  this  he  was  so 
troubled  in  mind  that  he  dared  not  leave  the 
chapel  nor  come  into  the  presence  of  the  count, 


Spanfeb  papers 


for  he  said  to  himself :  ' '  Surely  I  shall  be 
looked  upon  as  a  recreant  knight,  who  have 
hidden  myself  in  the  hour  of  danger. ' '  Shortly , 
however,  came  some  of  his  fellow-cavaliers, 
summoning  him  to  the  presence  of  the  count ; 
and  as  he  went  with  a  beating  heart,  they 
lauded  him  for  the  valor  he  had  displayed  and 
the  great  services  he  had  rendered,  saying  that 
to  the  prowess  of  his  arm  they  owed  the  victory. 
The  good  knight,  imagining  they  were  scoff 
ing  at  him,  felt  still  more  cast  down  in  spirit, 
and  entered  the  presence  of  the  count  covered 
with  confusion.  Here  again  he  was  received 
with  praises  and  caresses,  at  which  he  was 
greatly  astonished,  but  still  thought  it  all 
done  in  mockery.  When  the  truth  came  to 
be  known,  however,  all  present  were  filled  with 
wonder,  for  it  appeared  as  if  this  cavalier  had 
been,  at  the  same  moment,  in  the  chapel  and 
in  the  field  ;  for  while  he  remained  on  his 
knees  before  the  altar,  with  his  steed  pawing 
the  earth  at  the  door,  a  warrior  exactly  re 
sembling  him,  with  the  same  arms,  device, 
and  steed,  had  appeared  in  the  hottest  of  the 
fight,  penetrating  and  overthrowing  whole 
squadrons  of  Moors  ;  that  he  had  cut  his  way 
to  the  standard  of  the  enemy,  killed  the  stand 
ard-bearer,  and  carried  off  the  banner  in 
triumph  ;  that  his  pourpoint  and  coat-of-mail 


jfernan  <3oti3ale3  223 


were  cut  to  pieces,  and  his  horse  covered  with 
wounds  ;  yet  still  he  fought  on,  and  through 
his  valor  chiefly  the  victory  was  obtained. 

What  more  moved  astonishment  was  that 
for  every  wound  received  by  the  warrior  and 
his  J5teed  in  the  field,  there  appeared  marks  on 
the  pourpoint  and  coat  of  mail  and  upon  the 
steed  of  Pascual  Vivas,  so  that  he  had  the 
semblance  of  having  been  in  the  severest  press 
of  the  battle. 

The  matter  was  now  readily  explained  by 
the  worthy  friars  who  followed  the  armies  in 
those  days,  and  who  were  skilful  in  expound 
ing  the  miracles  daily  occurring  in  those  holy 
wars.  A  miraculous  intervention  had  been 
vouchsafed  to  Pascual  Vivas.  That  his  piety 
in  remaining  at  his  prayers  might  not  put  him 
to  shame  before  sinful  men,  an  angel  bearing 
his  form  and  semblance  had  taken  his  place 
in  battle  and  fought  while  he  prayed. 

The  matter  being  thus  explained,  all  present 
were  filled  with  pious  admiration,  and  Pascual 
Vivas,  if  he  ceased  to  be  extolled  as  a  warrior, 
came  near  being  canonized  as  a  saint.* 

*  Kxactly  the  same  kind  of  miracle  is  recorded  as 
happening  in  the  same  place  to  a  cavalier  of  the  name 
of  Don  Fernan  Antolenez,  in  the  service  of  the  Count 
Garcia  Fernandez.  Fray  Antonio  Agapida  has  ?:a 
doubt  that  the  same  miracle  did  actually  happen  to 


224  Spanfsb  jpapers 


King  Ordono  III.  did  not  long  survive  this 
battle.  Scarce  had  he  arrived  at  Zarnora  on 
his  way  homeward,  when  he  was  seized  with 
a  mortal  malady  of  which  he  died.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother  Don  Sancho,  the 
same  who  had  formerly  endeavored  to  dispos 
sess  him  of  his  throne. 

both  cavaliers  ;  "for  in  those  days,"  says  he,  "  there 
was  such  a  demand  for  miracles  that  the  same  had 
frequently  to  be  repeated  "  witness  the  repeated  ap 
pearance  of  Santiago  in  precisely  the  same  manner, 
to  save  Christian  armies  from  imminent  danger  of 
defeat,  and  achieve  wonderful  victories  over  the  infi 
dels,  as  we  find  recorded  throughout  the  Spanish 
chronicles. 


Cbapter 


King  Sancho  the  Fat  —  Of  the  Homage  he  Exacted 
from  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  and  of  the  Strange 
Bargain  that  he  Made  with  him  for  the  Purchase  of 
his  Horse  and  Falcon. 

KING  SANCHO   I.,    on    ascending  the 
throne,   held  a   cortes  at  lyeon,  where 
all  the  great  men  of  the  kingdom  and 
the  princes  who  owed  allegiance  to  him 
were  expected  to  attend  and  pay  homage.     As 
the  court  of  Leon  was  excessively  tenacious 
of  its  claim  to  sovereignty  over  Castile,   the 
absence  of  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  was  noticed 
with  great  displeasure  by  the  king,  who  sent 
missives  to  him  commanding  his  attendance. 
The  count  being  proud  of  heart,  and  stand 
ing  much  upon  the  independence  of  Castile, 
was  unwilling  to  kiss  the  hand  of  any  one  in 
token  of  vassalage.     He  was  at  length  induced 
to  stifle  his  repugnance  and  repair  to  the  court, 
but  he  went  in  almost  regal  style  and  with  a 
is  225 


226  Spanteb 


splendid  retinue,  more  like  a  sovereign  making 
a  progress  through  his  dominions. 

As  he  approached  the  city  of  lyeon,  King 
Sancho  came  forth  in  great  state  to  receive  him, 
and  they  met  apparently  as  friends,  but  there 
was  enmity  against  each  other  in  their  hearts. 

The  rich  and  gallant  array  with  which  Count 
Fernan  made  his  entry  into  lyeon  was  the  theme 
of  every  tongue  ;  but  nothing  attracted  more 
notice  than  a  falcon,  thoroughly  trained,  which 
he  carried  on  his  hand  and  an  Arabian  horse, 
of  wonderful  beauty,  which  he  had  gained  in 
his  wars  with  the  Moors.  King  Sancho  was 
seized  with  a  vehement  desire  to  possess  this 
horse  and  falcon,  and  offered  to  purchase  them 
of  the  count.  Don  Fernan  haughtily  declined 
to  enter  into  traffic ;  but  offered  them  to  the 
monarch  as  a  gift.  The  king  was  equally 
punctilious  in  refusing  to  accept  a  favor ;  but 
as  monarchs  do  not  easily  forego  anything  on 
which  they  have  set  their  hearts,  it  became 
evident  to  Count  Fernan  that  it  was  necessary, 
for  the  sake  of  peace,  to  part  with  his  horse 
and  falcon.  To  save  his  dignity,  however,  he 
asked  a  price  corresponding  to  his  rank  ;  for  it 
was  beneath  a  cavalier,  he  said,  to  sell  his 
things  cheap,  like  a  mean  man.  He  de 
manded,  therefore,  one  thousand  marks  of  sil 
ver  for  the  horse  and  falcon, — to  be  paid  on  a 


Jfernan  <3on3ale3  227 


stipulated  day  ;  if  not  paid  on  that  day  the 
price  to  be  doubled  on  the  next,  and  on  each 
day's  further  delay  the  price  should  in  like 
manner  be  doubled.  To  these  terms  the  king 
gladly  consented,  and  the  terms  were  specified 
in  a  written  agreement,  which  was  duly  signed 
and  witnessed.  The  king  thus  gained  the 
horse  and  falcon,  but  it  will  be  hereinafter 
shown  that  this  indulgence  of  his  fancy  cost 
him  dear. 

This  eager  desire  for  an  Arabian  steed  ap 
pears  the  more  singular  in  Sancho  the  First, 
from  his  being  so  corpulent  that  he  could  not 
sit  on  horseback.  Hence  he  is  commonly 
known  in  history  by  the  appellation  of  King 
Sancho  the  Fat.  His  unwieldy  bulk,  also, 
ma}r  be  one  reason  why  he  soon  lost  the  favor 
of  his  warrior  subjects,  who  looked  upon  him 
as  a  mere  trencherman  and  bed-presser,  and  not 
fitted  to  command  men  who  lived  in  the  sad 
dle,  and  had  rather  fight  than  either  eat  or 
sleep. 

King  Sancho  saw  that  he  might  soon  have 
hard  fighting  to  maintain  his  throne  ;  and  how 
could  he  figure  as  a  warrior  who  could  not 
mount  on  horseback  ?  In  his  anxiety  he  re 
paired  to  his  uncle,  Garcia,  King  of  Navarre, 
surnamed  the  Trembler,  who  was  an  exceed 
ing  meagre  man,  and  asked  counsel  of  him 


228  Spanfsb  papers 


what  he  should  do  to  cure  himself  of  this 
troublesome  corpulency.  Garcia  the  Trembler 
was  totally  at  a  loss  for  a  recipe,  his  own  lean 
ness  being  a  gift  of  Nature  ;  he  advised  him, 
however,  to  repair  to  Abderahman,  the  Mira- 
mamolin  of  Spain  and  King  of  Cordova,  with 
whom  he  was  happily  at  peace,  and  consult 
with  him,  and  seek  advice  of  the  Arabian  phy 
sicians  resident  at  Cordova — the  Moors  being 
generally  a  spare  and  active  people,  and  the 
Arabian  physicians  skilful  above  all  others  in 
the  treatment  of  diseases. 

King  Sancho  the  Fat,  therefore,  sent  amica 
ble  messages  beforehand  to  the  Moorish  Mira- 
mamolin,  and  followed  them  as  fast  as  his 
corpulency  would  permit ;  and  he  was  well 
received  by  the  Moorish  sovereign,  and  re 
mained  for  a  long  time  at  Cordova,  diligently 
employed  in  decreasing  his  rotundity. 

While  the  corpulent  king  was  thus  growing 
leaner,  discontent  broke  out  among  his  subjects 
at  home ;  and  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez,  taking 
advantage  of  it,  stirred  up  an  insurrection, 
and  placed  upon  the  throne  of  I^eon  Ordono 
IV.,  surnamed  the  Bad,  who  was  a  kinsman 
of  the  late  King  Ordono  III.,  and  he  more 
over  gave  him  his  daughter  for  wife — his 
daughter  Urraca,  the  repudiated  wife  of  the 
late  king. 


tfernan  <5on3ale3  229 


If  the  good  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  sup 
posed  he  had  fortified  himself  by  this  alliance, 
and  that  his  daughter  was  now  fixed  for  the 
second  time,  and  more  firmly  than  ever,  on  the 
throne  of  I>on,  he  was  grievously  deceived  ; 
for  Sancho  I.  returned  from  Cordova  at  the 
head  of  a  powerful  host  of  Moors,  and  was  no 
longer  to  be  called  the  Fat,  for  he  had  so  well 
succeeded  under  the  regimen  prescribed  by  the 
Miramamolin  and  his  Arabian  physicians,  that 
he  could  vault  into  the  saddle  with  merely 
putting  his  hand  upon  the  pommel. 

Ordono  IV.  was  a  man  of  puny  heart ;  no 
sooner  did  he  hear  of  the  approach  of  King 
Sancho,  and  of  his  marvellous  leanness  and 
agility,  than  he  was  seized  with  terror,  and, 
abandoning  his  throne  and  his  twice-repudiated 
spouse  Urraca,  he  made  for  the  mountains  of 
Asturias,  or,  as  others  assert,  was  overtaken  by 
the  Moors  and  killed  with  lances. 


[||^gg§pP3P 


Cbapter 

Farther  of  the  Horse  and  Falcon. 

KING  SANCHO  L,  having  re-established 
himself  on  the  throne,  and  recovered 
the  good- will  of  his  subjects  by  his 
leanness  and  horsemanship,  sent  a  stern 
message  to  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez  to  come  to 
his  cartes  or  resign  his  countship.     The  count 
was  exceedingly  indignant  at  this  order,  and 
feared,  moreover,  that  some  indignity  or  injury 
would  be  offered  him  should  he  repair  to  I^eon. 
He  made  the  message  known  to  his  principal 
cavaliers,  and  requested  their  advice.     Most  of 
them  were  of  opinion  that  he  should  not  go  to 
the  cartes.      Don   Fernan   declared,  however, 
that  he  would  not  act  disloyally  in  omitting  to 
do  that  which  the  counts  of  Castile  had  always 
performed,  although  he  felt  that  he  incurred 
the  risk  of  death  or  imprisonment.     Leaving 
his  son,  Garcia  Fernandez,  therefore,  in  charge 
230 


ffernan  (Bonsales  231 


of  his  counsellors,  he  departed  for  I^eon  with 
only  seven  cavaliers. 

As  he  approached  the  gates  of  that  city,  no 
one  came  forth  to  greet  him,  as  had  always 
been  the  custom.  This  he  considered  an  evil 
sign.  Presenting  himself  before  the  king,  he 
would  have  kissed  his  hand,  but  the  monarch 
withheld  it.  He  charged  the  count  with  being 
vainglorious  and  disloyal ;  with  having  ab 
sented  himself  from  the  cartes  and  conspired 
against  his  throne  ; — for  all  which  he  should 
make  atonement,  and  should  give  hostages  or 
pledges  for  his  good  faith  before  he  left  the 
court. 

The  count  in  reply  accounted  for  absenting 
himself  from  the  cortes  by  the  perfidious  treat 
ment  he  had  formerly  experienced  at  L,eon. 
As  to  any  grievances  the  king  might  have 
to  complain  of,  he  stood  ready  to  redress  them, 
provided  the  king  would  make  good  his  own 
written  engagement,  signed  with  his  own  hand 
and  sealed  with  his  own  seal,  to  pay  for  th^, 
horse  and  falcon  which  he  had  purchased  of 
the  count  on  his  former  visit  to  I^eon.  Three 
years  had  now  elapsed  since  the  day  appointed 
for  the  payment,  and  in  the  meantime  the 
price  had  gone  on  daily  doubling,  according  to 
stipulation.  They  parted  mutually  indignant ; 
and,  after  the  count  had  retired  to  his  quarters, 


232  Spanlsb  papers 


the  king,  piqued  to  maintain  his  royal  word, 
summoned  his  major-domo,  and  ordered  him 
to  take  a  large  amount  of  treasure  and  carry  it 
to  the  Count  of  Castile  in  payment  of  his  de 
mand.  So  the  major-domo  repaired  to  the 
count  with  a  great  sack  of  money  to  settle  with 
him  for  the  horse  and  hawk ;  but  when  he 
came  to  cast  up  the  account,  and  double  it 
each  day  that  intervened  since  the  appointed 
day  of  payment,  the  major-domo,  though  an 
expert  man  at  figures,  was  totally  confounded, 
and,  returning  to  the  king,  assured  him  that 
all  the  money  in  the  world  would  not  suffice  to 
pay  the  debt.  King  Sancho  was  totally  at  a 
loss  how  to  keep  his  word,  and  pay  off  a  debt 
which  was  more  than  enough  to  ruin  him. 
Grievously  did  he  repent  his  first  experience 
in  traffic,  and  found  that  it  is  not  safe  even  for 
a  monarch  to  trade  in  horses. 

In  the  meantime  the  count  was  suffered  to 
return  to  Castile  ;  but  he  did  not  let  the  matter 
rest  here  ;  for,  being  sorely  incensed  at  the  in 
dignities  he  had  experienced,  he  sent  missives 
to  King  Sancho,  urging  his  demand  of  pay 
ment  for  the  horse  and  falcon — menacing  other 
wise  to  make  seizures  by  way  of  indemnifica 
tion.  Receiving  no  satisfactory  reply,  he  made 
a  foray  into  the  kingdom  of  Leon,  and  brought 
off  great  spoil  of  sheep  and  cattle. 


ffernan  <3on3ate3  233 


King  Sancho  now  saw  that  the  count  was 
too  bold  and  urgent  a  creditor  to  be  trifled 
with.  In  his  perplexity  he  assembled  the 
estates  of  his  kingdom,  and  xconsulted  them 
upon  this  momentous  affair.  His  counsellors, 
like  himself,  were  grievously  perplexed  be 
tween  the  sanctity  of  the  royal  word  and  the 
enormity  of  the  debt.  After  much  deliberation 
they  suggested  a  compromise — the  Count  Fer- 
nan  Gonzalez  to  relinquish  the  debt,  and  in 
lieu  thereof  to  be  released  from  his  vassalage. 

The  count  agreed  right  gladly  to  this  com 
promise,  being  thus  relieved  from  all  tribute 
and  imposition,  and  from  the  necessity  of  kiss 
ing  the  hand  of  any  man  in  the  world  as  his 
sovereign.  Thus  did  King  Sancho  pay  with 
the  sovereignty  of  Castile  for  a  horse  and  fal 
con,  and  thus  were  the  Castilians  relieved,  by 
a  skilful  bargain  in  horse-dealing,  from  all 
subjection  to  the  kingdom  of  I^eon.* 

*  Cronica  de  Alonso  el  Sabio,  pt.  3,  c.  19. 


Cbapter  f  1Ff . 

The  Last  Campaign  of  Count  Fernan — His  Death. 

THE  good  Count  Fernan   Gonzalez  was 
now  well  stricken  in  years.     The  fire 
of  youth  was  extinct,  the   pride  and 
ambition  of  manhood  were  over ;   in 
stead  of  erecting  palaces  and  lofty  castles,  he 
began  now  to  turn  his  thoughts  upon  the  grave 
and  to  build  his  last  earthly  habitation,   the 
sepulchre. 

Before  erecting  his  own,  he  had  one  built  of 
rich  and  stately  workmanship  for  his  first  wife, 
the  object  of  his  early  love,  and  her  remains 
conveyed  to  it  and  interred  with  great  solem 
nity.  His  own  sepulchre,  according  to  ancient 
promise,  was  prepared  at  the  chapel  and  her 
mitage  of  San  Pedro  at  Arlanza,  where  he  had 
first  communed  with  the  holy  Friar  Pelayo. 
When  it  was  completed,  he  merely  inscribed 
upon  it  the  word  "Obijt,"  leaving  the  rest 
to  be  supplied  by  others  after  his  death. 
234 


jfernan  <5oii3ale3  235 


When  the  Moors  perceived  that  Count  Fer- 
nan  Gonzalez,  once  so  redoubtable  in  arms, 
was  old  and  infirm,  and  given  to  build 
tombs  instead  of  castles,  they  thought  it  a 
favorable  time  to  make  an  inroad  into  Castile. 
They  passed  the  border,  therefore,  in  great 
numbers,  laying  everything  waste  and  beard 
ing  the  old  lion  in  his  very  den. 

The  veteran  had  laid  by  sword  and  buckler, 
and  had  almost  given  up  the  world ;  but  the 
sound  of  Moorish  drum  and  trumpet  called 
him  back  even  from  the  threshold  of  the  sep 
ulchre.  Buckling  on  once  more  his  armor 
and  bestriding  his  war-steed,  he  summoned 
around  him  his  Castilian  cavaliers,  seasoned 
like  him  in  a  thousand  battles,  and  accom 
panied  by  his  son  Garcia  Fernandez,  who  in 
herited  all  the  valor  of  his  father,  issued  forth 
to  meet  the  foe,  followed  by  the  shouts  and 
blessings  of  the  populace,  who  enjoyed  to  see 
him  once  more  in  arms  and  glowing  with  his 
ancient  fire. 

The  Moors  were  retiring  from  an  extensive 
ravage,  laden  with  booty  and  driving  before 
them  an  immense  cavalgada,  when  they  des 
cried  a  squadron  of  cavaliers,  armed  all  in 
steel,  emerging  from  a  great  cloud  of  dust, 
and  bearing  aloft  the  silver  cross,  the  well- 
known  standard  of  Count  Fernan  Gonzalez. 


236  Spantsb  papers 


That  veteran  warrior  came  on,  as  usual,  lead 
ing  the  way,  sword  in  hand.  The  very  sight 
of  his  standard  had  struck  dismay  into  the 
enemy  ;  but  they  .soon  gave  way  before  one  of 
his  vigorous  charges,  nor  did  he  cease  to  pur 
sue  them  until  they  took  shelter  within  the 
very  walls  of  Cordova.  Here  he  wasted  the 
surrounding  country  with  fire  and  sword,  and 
after  thus  braving  the  Moor  in  his  very  capital, 
returned  triumphant  to  Burgos. 

"  Such,"  says  Fray  Antonio  Agapida,  "  was 
the  last  campaign  in  this  life  of  this  most  valor 
ous  cavalier ' '  ;  and  now,  abandoning  all  fur 
ther  deeds  of  mortal  enterprise  in  arms  to  his 
son  Garcia  Fernandez,  he  addressed  all  his 
thoughts,  as  he  said,  to  prepare  for  his  cam 
paign  in  the  skies.  He  still  talked  as  a  veteran 
warrior,  whose  whole  life  had  been  passed  in 
arms,  but  his  talk  was  not  of  earthly  warfare 
nor  of  earthly  kingdoms.  He  spoke  only  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  what  he  must  do 
to  make  a  successful  inroad  and  gain  an  eternal 
inheritance  in  that  blessed  country. 

He  was  equally  indefatigable  in  preparing 
for  his  spiritual  as  for  his  mortal  campaign. 
Instead,  however,  of  mailed  warriors  tramping 
through  his  courts,  and  the  shrill  neigh  of 
steed  or  clang  of  trumpet  echoing  among  their 
walls,  there  were  seen  holy  priests  and  bare- 


jfernan  (Senates  237 


foot  monks  passing  to  and  fro,  and  the  halls 
resounded  with  the  sacred  melody  of  litany 
and  psalm.  So  pleased  was  Heaven  with  the 
good  works  of  this  pious  cavalier,  and  espe 
cially  with  rich  donations  to  churches  and 
monasteries  which  he  made  under  the  guid 
ance  of  his  spiritual  counsellors,  that  we  are 
told  it  was  given  to  him  to  foresee  in  vision  the 
day  and  hour  when  he  should  pass  from  this 
weary  life  and  enter  the  mansions  of  eternal 
rest. 

Knowing  that  the  time  approached,  he  pre 
pared  for  his  end  like  a  good  Christian.  He 
wrote  to  the  kings  of  Leon  and  Navarre  in 
terms  of  great  humility,  craving  their  pardon 
for  all  past  injuries  and  offenses,  and  entreat 
ing  them,  for  the  good  of  Christendom,  to  live 
in  peace  and  amity,  and  make  common  cause 
for  the  defense  of  the  faith. 

Ten  days  before  the  time  which  Heaven  had 
appointed  for  his  death  he  sent  for  the  abbot 
of  the  chapel  and  convent  of  Arlanza,  and 
bending  his  aged  knees  before  him,  confessed 
all  his  sins.  This  done,  as  in  former  times  he 
had  shown  great  state  and  ceremony  in  his 
worldly  pageants,  so  now  he  arranged  his  last 
cavalgada  to  the  grave.  He  prayed  the  abbot 
to  return  to  his  monastery  and  have  his  sepul 
chre  prepared  for  his  reception,  and  that  the 


238  Spanisb  papers 


abbots  of  St.  Sebastian  and  Silos  and  Quirce, 
with  a  train  of  holy  friars,  might  come  at  the 
appointed  day  for  his  body  ;  that  thus,  as  he 
commended  his  soul  to  Heaven  through  the 
hands  of  his  confessor,  he  might,  through  the 
hands  of  these  pious  men,  resign  his  body  to 
the  earth. 

When  the  abbot  had  departed,  the  count  de 
sired  to  be  left  alone  ;  and  clothing  himself  in 
a  coarse  friar's  garb,  he  remained  in  fervent 
prayer  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  sins.  As  he 
had  been  a  valiant  captain  all  his  life  against 
the  enemies  of  the  faith,  so  was  he  in  death 
against  the  enemies  of  the  soul.  He  died  in 
the  full  command  of  all  his  faculties,  making 
no  groans  nor  contortions,  but  rendering  up 
his  spirit  with  the  calmness  of  an  heroic 
cavalier. 

We  are  told  that  when  he  died  voices  were 
heard  from  heaven  in  testimony  of  his  sanctity, 
while  the  tears  and  lamentations  of  all  Spain 
proved  how  much  he  was  valued  and  beloved 
on  earth.  His  remains  were  conveyed,  accord 
ing  to  his  request,  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Pedro 
de  Arlanza  by  a  procession  of  holy  friars  with 
solemn  chant  and  dirge.  In  the  church  of  that 
convent  they  still  repose  ;  and  two  paintings 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  convent, — one  represent 
ing  the  count  valiantly  fighting  with  the 


ffernan  (Soi^ales  239 


Moors,  the  other  conversing  with  St.  Pelayo 
and  St.  Millan,  as  they  appeared  to  him  in 
vision  before  the  battle  of  Hazinas. 

The  cross  which  he  used  as  his  standard  is 
still  treasured  up  in  the  sacristy  of  the  convent. 
It  is  of  massive  silver,  two  ells  in  length,  with 
our  Saviour  sculptured  upon  it,  and  above  the 
head,  in  Gothic  letters,  I.  N.  R.  I.  Below  is 
Adam  awaking  from  the  grave,  with  the  words 
of  St.  Paul :  "  Awake,  thou  who  sleepest,  and 
arise  from  the  tomb,  for  Christ  shall  give  thee 
life." 

This  holy  cross  still  has  the  form  at  the 
lower  end  by  which  the  standard-bearer  rested 
it  in  the  pommel  of  his  saddle. 

"  Inestimable,"  adds  Fray  Antonio  Agapida, 
"  are  the  relics  and  remains  of  saints  and 
sainted  warriors."  In  after  times,  when  Fer 
nando  the  Third,  surnamed  the  Saint,  went  to 
the  conquest  of  Seville,  he  took  with  him  a 
bone  of  this  thrice-blessed  and  utterly  re 
nowned  cavalier,  together  with  his  sword  and 
pennon,  hoping  through  their  efficacy  to  suc 
ceed  in  his  enterprise, — nor  was  he  disap 
pointed  ;  but  what  is  marvellous  to  hear,  but 
which  we  have  on  the  authority  of  the  good 
Bishop  Sandoval,  on  the  day  on  which  King 
Fernando  the  Saint  entered  Seville  in  triumph, 
great  blows  were  heard  to  resound  within  the 


Spanisb  papers 


sepulchre  of  the  count  at  Arlanza,  as  if  veri 
tably  his  bones  which  remained  behind  exulted 
in  the  victory  gained  by  those  which  had  been 
carried  to  the  wars.  Thus  were  marvellously 
fulfilled  the  words  of  the  holy  psalm,—  "  Ex- 
altabant  ossa  humilitata."* 

Here  ends  the  chronicle  of  the  most  valorous 
and  renowned  Don  Fernan  Gonzalez,  Count  of 
Castile.  Laus  Deo. 

*  Sandoval,  p.  334. 


CHRONICLE  OF  FERNANDO  THE 
SAINT. 


241 


CHRONICLE  OF  FERNANDO  THE 
SAINT. 

Gbapter  U. 

The  Parentage  of  Fernando— Queen  Berenguela— The 
Laras — Don  Alvar  Conceals  the  Death  of  King 
Henry — Mission  of  Queen  Berenguela  to  Alfonso 
IX. — She  Renounces  the  Crown  of  Castile  in  Favor 
of  her  son  Fernando. 

FERNANDO  III.,    surnamed   the  Saint, 
was  the  son  of  Alfonso  III.  King  of 
Leon,  and  of  Berenguela,  a  princess  of 
Castile  ;  but  there  were  some  particu 
lars  concerning  his  parentage  which  it  is  nec 
essary  clearly  to  state  before  entering  upon  his 
personal  history. 

Alfonso  III.  of  Leon,  and  Alfonso  IX.  King 
of  Castile,  were  cousins,  but  there  were  dissen 
sions  between  them.     The  King  of  Leon,  to 
strengthen   himself,    married  his   cousin,    the 
243 


244  Spanisb  papers 


Princess  Theresa,  daughter  of  his  uncle,  the 
King  of  Portugal.  By  her  he  had  two  daugh 
ters.  The  marriage  was  annulled  by  Pope 
Celestine  III.  on  account  of  their  consanguin 
ity,  and,  on  their  making  resistance,  they  were 
excommunicated  and  the  kingdom  laid  under 
an  interdict.  This  produced  an  unwilling 
separation  in  1195.  Alfonso  III.  did  not  long 
remain  single.  Fresh  dissensions  having 
broken  out  between  him  and  his  cousin  Al 
fonso  IX.  of  Castile,  they  were  amicably 
adjusted  by  his  marrying  the  Princess  Beren- 
guela,  daughter  of  that  monarch.  This  sec 
ond  marriage,  which  took  place  about  three 
years  after  the  divorce,  came  likewise  under 
the  ban  of  the  Church,  and  for  the  same  rea 
son,  the  near  propinquity  of  the  parties. 
Again  the  commands  of  the  Pope  were  re 
sisted,  and  again  the  refractory  parties  were 
excommunicated  and  the  kingdom  laid  under 
an  interdict. 

The  unfortunate  King  of  I^eon  was  the  more 
unwilling  to  give  up  the  present  marriage, 
as  the  Queen  Berenguela  had  made  him  the 
happy  father  of  several  children,  one  of  whom 
he  hoped  might  one  day  inherit  the  two 
crowns  of  I^eon  and  Castile. 

The  intercession  and  entreaties  of  the  bishops 
of  Castile  so  far  mollified  the  rigor  of  the  Pope, 


jfernanDo  tbe  Saint  245 


that  a  compromise  was  made ;  the  legiti 
macy  of  the  children  by  the  present  marriage 
was  not  to  be  affected  by  the  divorce  of  the 
parents,  and  Fernando,  the  eldest,  the  subject 
of  the  present  chronicle,  was  recognized  as 
successor  to  his  father  to  the  throne  of  L,eon. 
The  divorced  Queen  Berenguela  left  Fernando 
in  I^eon,  and  returned  in  1204  to  Castile,  to 
the  court  of  her  father,  Alfonso  III.  Here 
she  remained  until  the  death  of  her  father  in 
1214,  who  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Knrique, 
or  Henry  I.  The  latter  being  only  in  his 
eleventh  year,  his  sister,  the  ex-Queen  Beren 
guela,  was  declared  regent.  She  well  merited 
the  trust,  for  she  was  a  woman  of  great  pru 
dence  and  wisdom,  and  a  resolute  and  mag 
nanimous  spirit. 

At  this  time  the  house  of  I^ara  had  risen  to 
great  power.  There  were  three  brothers  of 
that  turbulent  and  haughty  race,  Don  Alvar 
Nunez,  Don  Fernan  Nunez,  and  Don  Gonzalo 
Nunez.  The  lyaras  had  caused  great  trouble 
in  the  kingdom  during  the  minority  of  Prince 
Henry's  father,  by  arrogating  to  themselves 
the  regency  ;  and  they  attempted,  in  like  man 
ner,  to  get  the  guardianship  of  the  son,  de 
claring  it  an  office  too  important  and  difficult 
to  be  intrusted  to  a  woman.  Having  a  power 
ful  and  unprincipled  party  among  the  nobles, 


246  Spanish  papers 


and  using  great  bribery  among  persons  in 
whom  Berenguela  confided,  they  carried  their 
point ;  and  the  virtuous  Berenguela,  to  pre 
vent  civil  commotions,  resigned  the  regency 
into  the  hands  of  Don  Alvar  Nunez  de  L,ara, 
the  head  of  that  ambitious  house.  First,  how 
ever,  she  made  him  kneel  and  swear  that  he 
would  conduct  himself  toward  the  youthful 
King  Enrique  as  a  thorough  friend  and  a  loyal 
vassal,  guarding  his  person  from  all  harm  ; 
that  he  would  respect  the  property  of  individ 
uals,  and  undertake  nothing  of  importance 
without  the  counsel  and  consent  of  Queen  Be 
renguela.  Furthermore,  that  he  would  guard 
and  respect  the  hereditary  possessions  of  Queen 
Berenguela,  left  to  her  by  her  father,  and 
would  always  serve  her  as  his  sovereign,  the 
daughter  of  his  deceased  king.  All  this  Don 
Alvar  Nunez  solemnly  swore  upon  the  sacred 
evangelists  and  the  holy  cross. 

No  sooner,  however,  had  he  got  the  young 
king  in  his  power,  than  he  showed  the  ambi 
tion,  rapacity,  and  arrogance  of  his  nature. 
He  prevailed  upon  the  young  king  to  make 
him  a  count ;  he  induced  him  to  hold  cortes 
without  the  presence  of  Queen  Berenguela  ; 
issuing  edicts  in  the  king's  name,  he  banished 
refractory  nobles,  giving  their  offices  and  lands 
to  his  brothers ;  he  levied  exactions  on  rick 


3Fernanfco  tbe  Saint  247 


and  poor,  and,  what  is  still  more  flagrant,  he 
extended  these  exactions  to  the  Church.  In 
vain  did  Queen  Berenguela  remonstrate ;  in 
vain  did  the  Dean  of  Toledo  thunder  forth  an 
excommunication  ;  he  scoffed  at  them  both, 
for  in  the  king's  name  he  persuaded  himself 
he  had  a  tower  of  strength.  He  even  sent  a 
letter  to  Queen  Berenguela  in  the  name  of  the 
young  king,  demanding  of  her  the  castles, 
towns,  and  ports  which  had  been  left  to  her 
by  her  father.  The  queen  was  deeply  grieved 
at  this  letter,  and  sent  a  reply  to  the  king  that, 
when  she  saw  him  face  to  face,  she  would  do 
with  those  possessions  whatever  he  should 
command,  as  her  brother  and  sovereign. 

On  receiving  this  message,  the  young  king 
was  shocked  and  distressed  that  such  a  de 
mand  should  have  been  made  in  his  name  ; 
but  he  was  young  and  inexperienced,  and 
could  not  openly  contend  with  a  man  of  Don 
Alvar's  overbearing  character.  He  wrote  se 
cretly  to  the  queen,  however,  assuring  her 
that  the  demand  had  been  made  without  his 
knowledge,  and  saying  how  gladly  he  would 
come  to  her  if  he  could,  and  be  relieved  from 
the  thraldom  of  Don  Alvar. 

In  this  way  the  unfortunate  prince  was  made 
an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  this  haughty 
and  arrogant  nobleman  of  inflicting  all  kinds 


248  Spanisb  papers 


of  wrongs  and  injuries  upon  his  subjects.  Don 
Alvar  constantly  kept  him  with  him,  carrying 
him  from  place  to  place  of  his  dominions, 
wherever  his  presence  was  necessary  to  effect 
some  new  measure  of  tyranny.  He  even  en 
deavored  to  negotiate  a  marriage  between  the 
young  king  and  some  neighboring  princess,  in 
order  to  retain  an  influence  over  him,  but  in 
this  he  was  unsuccessful. 

For  three  years  had  he  maintained  this  in 
iquitous  sway,  until  one  day  in  1217,  when  the 
young  king  was  with  him  at  Palencia,  and  was 
playing  with  some  youthful  companions  in  the 
court-yard  of  the  episcopal  palace,  a  tile,  either 
falling  from  the  roof  of  a  tower,  or  sportively 
thrown  by  one  of  his  companions,  struck  him  in 
the  head,  and  inflicted  a  wound  of  which  he 
presently  died. 

This  was  a  fatal  blow  to  the  power  of  Don 
Alvar.  To  secure  himself  from  any  sudden 
revulsion  in  the  popular  mind,  he  determined 
to  conceal  the  death  of  the  king  as  long  as  pos 
sible,  and  gave  out  that  he  had  retired  to  the 
fortress  of  Tariego,  whither  he  had  the  body 
conve3^ed,  as  if  still  living.  He  continued  to 
issue  despatches  from  time  to  time  in  the  name 
of  the  king,  and  made  various  excuses  for  his 
non-appearance  in  public. 

Queen  Berenguela  soon  learned  the  truth. 


jFernanfco  tbc  Saint  249 


According  to  the  laws  of  Castile  she  was  heiress 
to  the  crown,  but  she  resolved  to  transfer  it  to 
her  son  Fernando,  who,  being  likewise  ac 
knowledged  successor  to  the  crown  of  Leon, 
would  unite  the  two  kingdoms  under  his  rule. 
To  effect  her  purpose  she  availed  herself  of  the 
cunning  of  her  enemy,  kept  secret  her  knowl 
edge  of  the  death  of  her  brother,  and  sent  two 
of  her  confidential  cavaliers,  Don  Lope  Diaz  de 
Haro,  Senor  of  Biscay,  and  Don  Gonzalo  Ruiz 
Giron,  and  Don  Alonzo  Tellez  de  Meneses,  to 
her  late  husband,  Alfonso  IX.,  King  of  Leon, 
who,  with  her  son  Fernando,  was  then  at  Toro, 
entreating  him  to  send  the  latter  to  her  to  pro 
tect  her  from  the  tyranny  of  Don  Alvar.  The 
prudent  mother,  however,  forebore  to  let  King 
Alfonso  know  of  her  brother's  death,  lest  it 
awaken  in  him  ambitious  thoughts  about  the 
Castilian  crown. 

This  mission  being  sent,  she  departed  with 
the  cavaliers  of  her  party  for  Palencia.  The 
death  of  the  King  Enrique  being  noised  about, 
she  was  honored  as  Queen  of  Castile,  and  Don 
Tello,  the  bishop,  carne  forth  in  procession 
to  receive  her.  The  next  day  she  proceeded 
to  the  castle  of  Duenas,  and,  on  its  making 
some  show  of  resistance,  took  it  by  force. 

The  cavaliers  who  were  with  the  queen  en 
deavored  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between  her 


250  Spanfsb  papers 


and  Don  Alvar,  seeing  the  latter  had  powerful 
connections,  and  through  his  partisans  and  re 
tainers  held  possession  of  the  principal  towns 
and  fortresses ;  that  haughty  nobleman,  how 
ever,  would  listen  to  no  proposals  unless  the 
Prince  Fernando  was  given  into  his  guardian 
ship,  as  had  been  the  Prince  Enrique. 

In  the  meantime  the  request  of  Queen  Beren- 
guela  had  been  granted  by  her  late  husband, 
the  King  of  L,eon,  and  her  son  Fernando  has 
tened  to  meet  her.  The  meeting  took  place  at 
the  castle  of  Otiella,  and  happy  was  the  anxious 
mother  once  more  to  embrace  her  son.  At  her 
command  the  cavaliers  in  her  train  elevated 
him  on  the  trunk  of  an  elm-tree  for  a  throne, 
and  hailed  him  king  with  great  acclamations. 

They  now  proceeded  to  Valladolid,  which  at 
that  time  was  a  great  and  wealthy  town. 
Here  the  nobility  and  chivalry  of  Bstremadura 
and  other  parts  hastened  to  pay  homage  to  the 
queen.  A  stage  was  erected  in  the  market 
place,  where  the  assembled  states  acknowledged 
her  for  queen  and  swore  fealty  to  her.  She  im 
mediately,  in  presence  of  her  nobles,  prelates, 
and  people,  renounced  the  crown  in  favor  of 
her  son.  The  air  rang  with  the  shouts  of 
"Long  live  Fernando,  King  of  Castile!" 
The  bishops  and  clergy  then  conducted  the 
king  in  state  to  the  church.  This  was  on  the 


jfernan&o  tbe  Saint  251 


3ist  of  August,  1217,  and  about  three  months 
from  the  death  of  King  Knrique. 

Fernando  was  at  this  time  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  an  accomplished  cavalier,  having 
been  instructed  in  everything  befitting  a  prince 
and  a  warrior. 


Cbapter  if. 

King  Alfonso  of  L,eon  Ravages  Castile — Captivity  of 
Don  Alvar — Death  of  the  I/aras. 

KING  ALFONSO  of  ]>on  was  exceed 
ingly  exasperated  at  the  furtive  man 
ner  in  which  his  son  Fernando  had  left 
him,  without  informing  him  of  King 
Henry's  death.  He  considered,  and  perhaps 
with  reason,  the  transfer  of  the  crown  of  Castile 
by  Berenguela  to  her  son,  as  a  manoeuvre  to 
evade  any  rights  or  claims  which  he,  King 
Alfonso,  might  have  over  her,  notwithstand 
ing  their  divorce  ;  and  he  believed  that  both 
mother  and  son  had  conspired  to  deceive  and 
outwit  him  ;  and,  what  was  especially  pro 
voking,  they  had  succeeded.  It  was  natural 
for  King  Alfonso  to  have  become  by  this  time 
exceedingly  irritable  and  sensitive  ;  he  had 
been  repeatedly  thwarted  in  his  dearest  con 
cerns  ;  excommunicated  out  of  two  wives  by 
the  Pope,  and  now,  as  he  conceived,  cajoled 
out  of  a  kingdom. 

252 


tbe  Safnt  253 


In  his  wrath  he  flew  to  arms, — a  prompt  and 
customary  recourse  of  kings  in  those  days 
when  they  had  no  will  to  consult  but  their 
own  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  earnest  expos 
tulations  and  entreaties  of  holy  men,  he  entered 
Castile  with  an  army,  ravaging  the  legitimate 
inheritance  of  his  son,  as  if  it  had  been  the 
territory  of  an  enemy.  He  was  seconded  in 
his  outrages  by  Count  Alvar  Nunez  de  Lara 
and  his  two  bellicose  brothers,  who  hoped  still 
to  retain  power  by  rallying  under  his  standard. 

There  were  at  this  time  full  two  thousand 
cavaliers  with  the  youthful  king,  resolute  men, 
well  armed  and  well  appointed,  and  they  urged 
him  to  lead  them  against  the  King  of  Leon. 
Queen  Berenguela,  however,  interposed  and 
declared  her  son  should  never  be  guilty  of  the 
impiety  of  taking  up  arms  against  his  father. 
By  her  advice  King  Fernando  sent  an  embassy 
to  his  father,  expostulating  with  him,  and 
telling  him  that  he  ought  to  be  thankful  to 
God  that  Castile  was  in  the  hands  of  a  son 
disposed  at  all  times  to  honor  and  defend  him, 
instead  of  a  stranger  who  might  prove  a  dan 
gerous  foe. 

King  Alfonso,  however,  was  not  so  to  be 
appeased.  By  the  ambassadors  he  sent  pro 
posals  to  Queen  Berenguela  that  they  reenter 
into  wedlock,  for  which  he  would  procure  a 


254  Spanisb  papers 


dispensation  from  the  Pope ;  they  would  then 
be  jointly  sovereigns  of  both  Castile  and  Leon, 
and  the  Prince  Fernando,  their  son,  should 
inherit  both  crowns.  But  the  virtuous  Beren- 
guela  recoiled  from  this  proposal  of  a  second 
nuptials.  "God  forbid/'  replied  she,  "that  I 
should  return  to  a  sinful  marriage  ;  and  as  to 
the  crown  of  Castile,  it  now  belongs  to  my 
son,  to  whom  I  have  given  it  with  the  sanc 
tion  of  God  and  the  good  men  of  this  realm. '  * 

King  Alfonso  was  more  enraged  than  ever 
by  this  reply,  and,  being  incited  and  aided  by 
Count  Alvar  and  his  faction,  he  resumed  his 
ravages,  laying  waste  the  country  and  burn 
ing  the  villages.  He  would  have  attacked 
Duenas,  but  found  that  place  strongly  garri 
soned  by  Diego  Lopez  de  Haro  and  Ruy  Diaz 
de  los  Cameros ;  he  next  marched  upon  Bur 
gos,  but  that  place  was  equally  well  garrisoned 
by  Lope  Diez  de  Faro  and  other  stout  Cas- 
tilian  cavaliers  ;  so  perceiving  his  son  to  be 
more  firmly  seated  upon  the  throne  than  he 
had  imagined,  and  that  all  his  own  menaces 
and  ravages  were  unavailing,  he  returned 
deeply  chagrined  to  his  kingdom. 

King  Fernando,  in  obedience  to  the  dictates 
of  his  mother  as  well  as  of  his  own  heart, 
abstained  from  any  acts  of  retaliation  on  his 
father ;  but  he  turned  his  arms  against  Mufion 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  255 


and  L,erma  and  Lara,  and  other  places  which 
either  belonged  to,  or  held  out  for,  Count  Al- 
var,  and,  having  subdued  them,  proceeded  to 
Burgos,  the  capital  of  his  kingdom,  where  he 
was  received  by  the  bishop  and  clergy  with 
great  solemnity,  and  whither  the  nobles  and 
chivalry  from  all  parts  of  Castile  hastened  to 
rally  round  his  throne.  The  turbulent  Count 
Alvar  Nunez  de  Lara  and  his  brothers  retain 
ing  other  fortresses  too  strong  to  be  easily 
taken,  refused  all  allegiance,  and  made  ravag 
ing  excursions  over  the  country.  The  prudent 
and  provident  Berenguela,  therefore,  while  at 
Burgos,  seeing  that  the  troubles  and  conten 
tions  of  the  kingdom  would  cause  great  ex 
pense  and  prevent  much  revenue,  gathered  to 
gether  all  her  jewels  of  gold  and  silver  and 
precious  stones,  and  all  her  plate  and  rich  silks, 
and  other  precious  things,  and  caused  them  to 
be  sold,  and  gave  the  money  to  her  son  to 
defray  the  cost  of  these  civil  wars. 

King  Fernando  and  his  mother  departed 
shortly  afterwards  for  Palencia  ;  on  their  way 
they  had  to  pass  by  Herrera,  which  at  that 
time  was  the  stronghold  of  Count  Alvar. 
When  the  king  came  in  sight,  Count  Fernan 
Nunez,  with  his  battalions,  was  on  the  banks 
of  the  river,  but  drew  within  the  walls.  As 
the  king  had  to  pass  close  by  with  his  retinue, 


256  Spantsb  papers 


he  ordered  his  troops  to  be  put  into  good  order, 
and  gave  it  in  charge  to  Alonzo  Tellez  and 
Suer  Tellez  and  Alvar  Ruyz  to  protect  the 
flanks. 

As  the  royal  troops  drew  near,  Count  Alvar, 
leaving  his  people  in  the  town,  sallied  forth 
with  a  few  cavaliers  to  regard  the  army  as  it 
passed.  Affecting  great  contempt  for  the  youth 
ful  king  and  his  cavaliers,  he  stood  drawn  up 
on  a  rising  ground  with  his  attendants,  look 
ing  down  upon  the  troops  with  scornful  aspect, 
and  rejecting  all  advice  to  retire  into  the  town. 

As  the  king  and  his  immediate  escort  came 
nigh,  their  attention  was  attracted  to  this  little 
body  of  proud  warriors  drawn  up  upon  a  bank 
and  regarding  them  so  loftily  ;  and  Alonzo 
Tellez  and  Suer  Tellez  looking  more  closely, 
recognized  Don  Alvar,  and  putting  spurs  to 
their  horses,  dashed  up  the  bank,  followed  by 
several  cavaliers.  Don  Alvar  repented  of  his 
vain  confidence  too  late,  and  seeing  great 
numbers  urging  towards  him,  turned  his  reins 
and  retreated  toward  the  town.  Still  his 
stomach  was  too  high  for  absolute  flight,  and 
the  others,  who  spurred  after  him  at  full  speed, 
overtook  him.  Throwing  himself  from  his 
horse,  he  covered  himself  with  his  shield  and 
prepared  for  defense.  Alonzo  Tellez,  however, 
called  to  his  men  not  to  kill  the  count,  but  to 


tbe  Saint  257 


take  him  prisoner.  He  was  accordingly  cap 
tured,  with  several  of  his  followers,  and  borne 
off  to  the  king  and  queen.  The  count  had 
everything  to  apprehend  from  their  vengeance 
for  his  misdeeds.  They  used  no  personal 
harshness,  however,  but  demanded  from  him 
that  he  should  surrender  all  the  castles  and 
strong  places  held  by  the  retainers  and  parti 
sans  of  his  brothers  and  himself,  that  he 
should  furnish  one  hundred  horsemen  to  aid 
in  their  recovery,  and  should  remain  a  prisoner 
until  those  places  were  all  in  the  possession  of 
the  crown. 

Captivity  broke  the  haughty  spirit  of  Don 
Alvar.  He  agreed  to  those  conditions,  and 
until  they  should  be  fulfilled  was  consigned  to 
the  charge  of  Gonsalvo  Ruyz  Giron,  and  con 
fined  in  the  castle  of  Valladolid.  The  places 
were  delivered  up  in  the  course  of  a  few  months, 
and  thus  King  Fernando  became  strongly 
possessed  of  his  kingdom. 

Stripped  of  power,  state,  and  possessions, 
Count  Alvar  and  his  brothers,  after  an  ineffec 
tual  attempt  to  rouse  the  King  of  L,eon  to 
another  campaign  against  his  son,  became 
savage  and  desperate,  and  made  predatory 
excursions,  pillaging  the  country,  until  Count 
Alvar  fell  mortally  ill  of  hydropsy.  Struck 
with  remorse  and  melancholy,  he  repaired  to 


258  Spanisb  papers 


Toro  and  entered  the  chivalrous  order  of  San 
tiago,  that  he  might  gain  the  indulgences 
granted  by  the  Pope  to  those  who  die  in  that 
order,  and  hoping,  says  an  ancient  chronicler, 
to  oblige  God,  as  it  were,  by  that  religious 
ceremony,  to  pardon  his  sins.*  His  illness 
endured  seven  months,  and  he  was  reduced  to 
such  poverty  that  at  his  death  there  was  not 
money  enough  left  by  him  to  convey  his  body 
to  Ucles,  where  he  had  requested  to  be  buried, 
nor  to  pay  for  tapers  for  his  funeral.  When 
Queen  Berenguela  heard  this,  she  ordered  that 
the  funeral  should  be  honorably  performed  at 
her  own  expense,  and  sent  a  cloth  of  gold  to 
cover  the  bier.f 

The  brother  of  Count  Alvar,  Don  Fernando, 
abandoned  his  country  in  despair  and  went  to 
Marocco,  where  he  was  well  received  by  the 
miramamolin,  and  had  lands  and  revenues 
assigned  to  him.  He  became  a  great  favorite 
among  the  Moors,  to  whom  he  used  to  recount 
his  deeds  in  the  civil  wars  of  Castile.  At  length 
he  fell  dangerously  ill,  and  caused  himself  to 
be  taken  to  a  suburb  inhabited  by  Christians. 
There  happened  to  be  there  at  that  time  one 
Don  Gonsalvo,  a  knight  of  the  order  of  the 

*  Cronica  Gotica,  por  Don  Alonzo  Nunez  de  Castro, 
p.  17. 
f  Cronica  General  de  Espanay  pt.  3,  p.  370. 


ffernan&o  tbe  Saint  259 


Hospital  of  St.  John  de  Acre,  and  who  had 
been  in  the  service  of  Pope  Innocent  III.  Don 
Fernando,  finding  his  end  approaching,  en 
treated  of  the  knight  his  religious  habit,  that 
he  might  die  in  it.  His  request  was  granted, 
and  thus  Count  Fernando  died  in  the  habit  of 
a  Knight  Hospital  of  St.  John  de  Acre,  in 
Elbora,  a  suburb  of  Marocco.  His  body  was 
afterwards  brought  to  Spain,  and  interred  in 
a  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Pisuerga,  in  which 
repose  likewise  the  remains  of  his  wife  and 
children. 

The  Count  Gonsalvo  Nunez  de  Lara,  the 
third  of  these  brothers,  also  took  refuge  among 
the  Moors.  He  was  seized  with  violent  disease 
in  the  city  of  Baeza,  where  he  died.  His  body 
was  conveyed  to  Campos  a  Zalmos,  which 
appertained  to  the  Friars  of  the  Temple,  where 
the  holy  fraternity  gave  it  the  rites  of  sepulture 
with  all  due  honor.  Such  was  the  end  of  these 
three  brothers  of  the  once  proud  and  powerful 
house  of  Lara,  whose  disloyal  deeds  had 
harassed  their  country  and  brought  ruin  upon 
themselves. 


Cbapter  Iff* 

Marriage  of  King  Fernando — Campaign  against  the 
Moors — Aben  Mohamed,  King  of  Baeza,  Declares 
himself  the  Vassal  of  King  Fernando — They  March 
to  Jaen — Burning  of  the  Tower — Fernando  Com 
mences  the  Building  of  the  Cathedral  at  Toledo. 

KING  FERNANDO,  aided  by  the  sage 
counsels   of  his   mother,    reigned  for 
some  time  in  peace  and  quietness,  ad 
ministering  his  affairs  with  equity  and 
justice.      The  good   Queen   Berenguela  now 
began  to  cast  about  her  eyes  in  search  of  a 
suitable   alliance  for  her  son,  and  had  many 
consultations  with  the  Bishop  Maurice  of  Bur 
gos,  and  other  ghostly  counsellors,  thereupon. 
They  at  length  agreed  upon  the  Princess  Bea 
trix,  daughter  of  the  late  Philip,  Kmperor  of 
Germany,  and  the  Bishop  Maurice  and  Padre 
Fray  Pedro  de  Arlanza  were  sent  as  envoys  to 
the  Kmperor  Frederick  II.,  cousin  of  the  prin 
cess,  to  negotiate  the  terms.     An  arrangement 
was  happily  effected,  and  the  princess  set  out 
260 


fernando  tbe  Saint  261 


for  Spain.  In  passing  through  France  she 
was  courteously  entertained  at  Paris  by  King 
Philip,  who  made  her  rich  presents.  On  the 
borders  of  Castile  she  was  met  at  Vittoria  by 
the  Queen  Berenguela,  with  a  great  train  of 
prelates,  monks,  and  masters  of  the  religious 
orders,  and  of  abbesses  and  nuns,  together 
with  a  glorious  train  of  chivalry.  In  this  state 
she  was  conducted  to  Burgos,  where  the  king 
and  all  his  court  came  forth  to  receive  her, 
and  their  nuptials  were  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  and  rejoicing. 

King  Fernando  lived  happily  with  his  fair 
Queen  Beatrix,  and  his  kingdom  remained  in 
peace  ;  but  by  degrees  he  became  impatient  of 
quiet,  and  anxious  to  make  war  upon  the 
Moors.  Perhaps  he  felt  called  upon  to  make 
some  signal  essay  in  arms  at  present,  having, 
the  day  before  his  nuptials,  been  armed  a 
knight  in  the  monastery  of  I^as  Huelgos,  and 
in  those  iron  days  knighthood  was  not  a  matter 
of  mere  parade  and  ceremony,  but  called  for 
acts  of  valor  and  proofs  of  stern  endurance. 

The  discreet  Berenguela  endeavored  to  dis 
suade  her  son  from  taking  the  field,  consider 
ing  him  not  of  sufficient  age.  In  all  things 
else  he  was  ever  obedient  to  her  counsels,  and 
even  to  her  inclinations,  but  it  was  in  vain  that 
she  endeavored  to  persuade  him  from  making 


262  Spanisb  papers 


war  upon  the  infidels.  "  God,"  would  he  say, 
' t  had  put  into  his  hands  not  merely  a  sceptre 
to  govern,  but  a  sword  to  avenge  his  country." 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  good  cause,  more 
over,  add  the  Spanish  chroniclers,  that  while 
the  queen-mother  was  endeavoring  to  throw  a 
damper  on  the  kindling  fire  of  her  son,  a  worthy 
prelate  was  at  hand  to  stir  it  up  into  a  blaze. 
This  was  the  illustrious  historian  Rodrigo, 
Archbishop  of  Toledo,  who  now  preached  a 
crusade  against  the  Moors,  promising  like  in 
dulgences  with  those  granted  to  the  wrarriors 
for  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  consequence  was 
a  great  assemblage  of  troops  from  all  parts  at 
Toledo. 

King  Fernando  was  prevented  for  a  time  from 
taking  the  field  in  person,  but  sent  in  advance 
Don  lyOpe  Diaz  de  Haro  and  Ruy  Gonsalvo  de 
Giron  and  Alonzo  Tellez  de  Meneses,  with  five 
hundred  cavaliers,  well  armed  and  mounted. 
The  very  sight  of  them  effected  a  conquest 
over  Aben  Mohamed,  the  Moorish  King  of 
Baeza,  insomuch  that  he  sent  an  embassy  to 
King  Fernando,  declaring  himself  his  vassal. 

When  King  Fernando  afterwards  took  the 
field,  he  was  joined  by  this  Moorish  ally  at  the 
Navas  or  plains  of  Tolosa  ;  who  was  in  com 
pany  with  him  when  the  king  marched  to  Jaen, 
to  the  foot  of  a  tower,  and  set  fire  to  it,  where- 


tfernanfco  tbe  Saint  263 


upon  those  Moors  who  remained  in  the  tower 
were  burned  to  death,  and  those  who  leaped 
from  the  walls  were  received  on  the  points  of 
lances. 

Notwithstanding  the  burnt-offering  of  this 
tower,  Heaven  did  not  smile  upon  the  attempt 
of  King  Fernando  to  reduce  the  city  of  Jaen. 
He  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  siege,  but  con 
soled  himself  by  laying  waste  the  country. 
He  was  more  successful  elsewhere.  He  carried 
the  strong  town  of  Priego  by  assault,  and  gave 
the  garrison  their  lives  on  condition  of  yielding 
up  all  their  property,  and  paying,  moreover, 
eighty  thousand  maravedis  of  silver.  For  the 
payment  of  this  sum  they  were  obliged  to  give 
as  hostages  fifty-five  damsels  of  great  beauty, 
and  fifty  cavaliers  of  rank,  besides  nine  hun 
dred  of  the  common  people.  The  king  divided 
his  hostages  among  his  bravest  cavaliers  and 
the  religious  orders  ;  but  his  vassal,  the  Moor 
ish  King  of  Baeza,  obtained  the  charge  of  the 
Moorish  damsels. 

The  king  then  attacked  L,oxa,  and  his  men 
scaled  the  walls  and  burnt  the  gates,  and  made 
themselves  masters  of  the  place.  He  then  led 
his  army  into  the  Vega  of  Granada,  the  inhabi 
tants  of  which  submitted  to  become  his' vassals, 
and  gave  up  all  the  Christian  captives  in  that 
city,  amounting  to  thirteen  hundred. 


264  Spanisb  papers 


Aben  Mohamed,  king  of  Baeza,  then  deliv 
ered  to  King  Fernando  the  towers  of  Martos 
and  Andujar,  and  the  king  gave  them  to  Don 
Alvar  Perez  de  Castro  and  placed  with  him 
Don  Gonzalo  Ybafiez,  Master  of  Calatrava,  and 
Tello  Alonzo  Meneses,  son  of  Don  Alonzo 
Tellez,  and  other  stout  cavaliers,  fitted  to  main 
tain  frontier  posts.  These  arrangements  being 
made,  and  having  ransacked  every  mountain 
and  valley,  and  taken  many  other  places  not 
herein  specified,  King  Fernando  returned  in 
triumph  to  Toledo,  where  he  was  joyfully  re 
ceived  by  his  mother  Berenguela  and  his  wife 
Beatrix. 

Clerical  historians  do  not  fail  to  record  with 
infinite  satisfaction  a  signal  instance  of  the  de 
vout  and  zealous  spirit  which  King  Fernando 
had  derived  from  his  constant  communion  with 
the  reverend  fathers  of  the  Church.  As  the 
king  was  one  day  walking  with  his  ghostly  ad 
viser  the  archbishop,  in  the  principal  church 
of  Toledo,  which  was  built  in  the  Moresco 
fashion,  having  been  a  mosque  of  the  infidels, 
it  occurred,  or  more  probably  was  suggested  to 
him,  that,  since  God  had  aided  him  to  increase 
his  kingdom,  and  had  given  him  such  victories 
over  the  enemies  of  his  holy  faith,  it  became 
him  to  rebuild  his  holy  temple,  which  was  an 
cient  and  falling  to  decay,  and  to  adorn  it  richly 


ffernanfco  tbc  Saint 


265 


with  the  spoils  taken  from  the  Moors.  The 
thought  was  promptly  carried  into  effect.  The 
king  and  the  archbishop  laid  the  first  stone 
with  great  solemnity,  and  in  the  fullness  of 
time  accomplished  that  mighty  cathedral  of 
Toledo,  which  remains  the  wonder  and  admira 
tion  of  after-ages. 


Cbaptet  m 

Assassination  of  Aben  Mohamed — His  Head  Carried 
as  a  Present  to  Abullale,  the  Moorish  King  of  Seville 
— Advance  of  the  Christians  into  Andalusia — Abul 
lale  Purchases  a  Truce. 

THK  worthy  Fray  Antonio  Agapida  records 
various   other  victories    and   achieve 
ments  of  King  Fernando  in  a  subse 
quent  campaign  against  the  Moors  of 
Andalusia ;  in  the  course  of  which  his  camp 
was  abundantly  supplied  with   grain  by  his 
vassal  Aben  Mohamed,  the  Moorish  King  of 
Baeza.     The  assistance  rendered  by  that  Mos 
lem  monarch  to  the  Christian  forces  in  their 
battles  against  those  of  his  own  race  and  his 
own  faith,   did  not  meet  with  the  reward  it 
merited.      ' '  Doubtless, ' '    says  Antonio  Aga- 
pida,   '  *  because  he  halted  half  way  in  the  right 
path,  and  did  not  turn  thorough  renegado." 
It  appears  that  his  friendship  for  the  Christians 
gave  great  disgust  to  his  subjects,  and  some  of 
266 


afernanoo  tbe  Safnt  267 


them  rose  upon  him,  while  he  was  sojourning 
in  the  city  of  Cordova,  and  sought  to  destroy 
him.  Aben  Mohamed  fled  by  a  gate  leading 
to  the  gardens,  to  take  shelter  in  the  tower  of 
Almodovar ;  but  the  assassins  overtook  him, 
and  slew  him  on  a  hill  near  the  tower.  They 
then  cut  off  his  head  and  carried  it  as  a  present 
to  Abullale,  the  Moorish  king  of  Seville,  ex 
pecting  to  be  munificently  rewarded  ;  but  that 
monarch  gave  command  that  their  heads  should 
be  struck  off  and  their  bodies  thrown  to  the 
dogs,  as  traitors  to  their  liege  lords.* 

King  Fernando  was  grieved  when  he  heard 
of  the  assassination  of  his  vassal,  and  feared 
the  death  of  Aben  Mohamed  might  lead  to  a 
rising  of  the  Moors.  He  sent  notice  to  Andu- 
jar,  to  Don  Alvar  Perez  de  Castro  and  Alonzo 
Tellez  de  Meneses,  to  be  on  their  guard ;  but 
the  Moors,  fearing  punishment  for  some  rebel 
lious  movements,  abandoned  the  town,  and  it 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  king.  The  Moors  of 
Martos  did  the  like.  The  Alcazar  of  Baeza 
yielded  also  to  the  king,  who  placed  in  it  Don 
Lope  Diaz  de  Haro  with  five  hundred  men. 

Abullale,  the  Moorish  sovereign  of  Seville, 
was  alarmed  at  seeing  the  advances  which  the 
Christians  were  making  in  Andalusia  ;  and  at 
tempted  to  wrest  from  their  hands  these  newly 
*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana>  pt.  4,  fol.  373. 


268  Spanisb  papers 


acquired  places.  He  marched  upon  Martos, 
which  was  not  strongly  walled.  The  Countess 
Dona  Yrenia,  wife  to  Don  Alvar  Perez  de  Cas 
tro,  was  in  this  place,  and  her  husband  was 
absent.  Don  Tello  Alonzo,  with  a  Spanish 
force,  hastened  to  her  assistance.  Finding  the 
town  closely  invested,  he  formed  his  men  into 
a  troop,  and  endeavored  to  cut  his  way  through 
the  enemy.  A  rude  conflict  ensued,  the  cava 
liers  fought  their  way  forward,  and  Christian 
and  Moor  arrived  pell-mell  at  the  gate  of  the 
town.  Here  the  press  was  excessive.  Fernan 
Gomez  de  Pudiello,  a  stout  cavalier,  who  bore 
the  pennon  of  Don  Tello  Alonzo,  was  slain, 
and  the  same  fate  would  have  befallen  Don 
Tello  himself,  but  that  a  company  of  esquires 
sallied  from  the  town  to  his  rescue. 

King  Abullale  now  encircled  the  town,  and 
got  possession  of  the  Pefia,  or  rock,  which 
commands  it,  killing  two  hundred  Christians 
who  defended  it. 

Provisions  began  to  fail  the  besieged,  and 
they  were  reduced  to  slay  their  horses  for  food, 
and  even  to  eat  the  hides.  Don  Gonsalvo 
Ybanez,  master  of  Calatrava,  who  was  in  Baeza, 
hearing  of  the  extremity  of  the  place,  came 
suddenly  with  seventy  men  and  effected  an  en 
trance.  The  augmentation  of  the  garrison 
only  served  to  increase  the  famine,  without 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  269 


being  sufficient  in  force  to  raise  the  siege.  At 
length  word  was  brought  to  Don  Alvar  Perez 
de  Castro,  who  was  with  the  king  at  Guada- 
laxara,  of  the  imminent  danger  to  which  his 
wife  was  exposed.  He  instantly  set  off  for 
her  relief,  accompanied  by  several  cavaliers 
of  note,  and  a  strong  force.  They  succeeded 
in  getting  into  Martos,  recovered  the  Pena, 
or  rock,  and  made  such  vigorous  defense  that 
Abullale  abandoned  the  siege  in  despair.  In 
the  following  year  King  Fernando  led  his  host 
to  take  revenge  upon  this  Moorish  King  of 
Seville ;  but  the  latter  purchased  a  truce  for 
one  year  with  three  hundred  maravedis  of 
silver.* 

*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espana,  pt.  4,  c.  ii. 


Cbapter  It). 

Aben  Hud — Abullale  Purchases  Another  Year's  Truce 
— Fernando  Hears  of  the  Death  of  his  Father,  the 
King  of  Leon,  while  Pressing  the  Siege  of  Jaen — 
He  Becomes  Sovereign  of  the  Two  Kingdoms  of 
Leon  and  Castile. 

ABOUT  this  time  a  valiant  sheik,  named 
Aben  Abdallar  Mohammed  ben  Hud, 
but  commonly  called  Aben  Hud,  was 
effecting  a  great  revolution  in  Moorish 
affairs.   He  was  of  the  lineage  of  Aben  Alfange, 
and  bitterly  opposed  to  the  sect  of  Alraohades, 
who  for  a  long  time  had  exercised  a  tyrannical 
sway.     Stirring  up  the  Moors  of  Murcia  to  rise 
upon  their  oppressors,  he  put  himself  at  their 
head,   massacred  all  the  Almohades  that  fell 
into   his  hands,   and  made  himself  sheik  or 
king  of  that  region.     He  purified  the  mosques 
with  water,  after  the  manner  in  which  Chris 
tians  purify  their  churches,  as  though  they  had 
been  defiled  by  the  Almohades.     Aben  Hud 
270 


toe  safnt  271 


acquired  a  name  among  those  of  his  religion 
for  justice  and  good  faith  as  well  as  valor  ; 
and  after  some  opposition,  gained  sway  over 
all  Andalusia.  This  brought  him  in  collision 
with  King  Fernando. 

J3^"  (Something  is  wanting  here.)* 
laying  waste  fields  of  grain.  The  Moorish 
sovereign  of  Seville  purchased  another  year's 
truce  of  him  for  three  hundred  thousand  mara- 
vedis  of  silver.  Aben  Hud,  on  the  other  hand, 
collected  a  great  force  and  marched  to  oppose 
him,  but  did  not  dare  to  give  him  battle.  He 
went,  therefore,  upon  Merida,  and  fought  with 
King  Alfonso  of  I/eon,  father  of  King  Fer 
nando,  where,  however,  he  met  with  complete 
discomfiture. 

*  The  hiatus,  here  noted  by  the  author,  has  evi 
dently  arisen  from  the  loss  of  a  leaf  of  his  manuscript. 
The  printed  line  which  precedes  the  parenthesis  con 
cludes  page  32  of  the  manuscript ;  the  line  which 
follows  it  begins  page  34.  The  intermediate  page  is 
wanting.  I  presume  the  author  did  not  become  con 
scious  of  his  loss  until  he  had  resorted  to  his  manu 
script  for  revision,  and  that  he  could  not  depend  upon 
his  memory  to  supply  what  was  wanting  without  a 
fresh  resort  to  authorities  not  at  hand.  Hence  a  post 
ponement  and  ultimate  omission.  The  missing  leaf 
would  scarce  have  filled  half  a  page  of  print,  and,  it 
would  seetn  from  the  context,  must  have  related  the 
invasion  of  Andalusia  by  Fernando  and  the  ravages 
committed  bv  his  armies. — BD. 


Spanisb  papers 


On  the  following  year  King  Fernando  re 
peated  his  invasion  of  Andalusia,  and  was 
pressing  the  siege  of  the  city  of  Jaen,  which 
he  assailed  by  means  of  engines  discharging 
stones,  when  a  courier  arrived  in  all  speed 
from  his  mother,  informing  him  that  his 
father,  Alfonso,  was  dead,  and  urging  him  to 
proceed  instantly  to  I,eon,  to  enforce  his  pre 
tensions  to  the  crown.  King  Fernando  ac 
cordingly  raised  the  siege  of  Jaen,  sending  his 
engines  to  Martos,  and  repaired  to  Castile,  to 
consult  with  his  mother,  who  was  his  counsellor 
on  all  occasions. 

It  appeared  that  in  his  last  will  King  Alfonso 
had  named  his  two  daughters  joint  heirs  to  the 
crown.  Some  of  the  L,eonese  and  Gallegos  were 
disposed  to  place  the  Prince  Alonzo,  brother  to 
King  Fernando,  on  the  throne  ;  but  he  had 
listened  to  the  commands  of  his  mother,  and 
had  resisted  all  suggestions  of  the  kind ;  the 
larger  part  of  the  kingdom,  including  the  most 
important  cities,  had  declared  for  Fernando. 

Accompanied  by  his  mother,  King  Fernando 
proceeded  instantly  into  the  kingdom  of  Leon 
with  a  powerful  force.  Wherever  they  went 
the  cities  threw  open  their  gates  to  them.  The 
princesses  Dona  Sancha  and  Dona  Dulce,  with 
their  mother,  Theresa,  would  have  assembled 
a  force  to  oppose  them,  but  the  prelates  were 


tbe  Saint  273 


all  in  favor  of  King  Fernando.  On  his  ap 
proach  to  L,eon,  the  bishops  and  clergy  and  all 
the  principal  inhabitants  came  forth  to  receive 
him,  and  conducted  him  to  the  cathedral,  where 
he  received  their  homage,  and  was  proclaimed 
king,  with  the  Te  Denms  of  the  choir  and  the 
shouts  of  the  people. 

Dona  Theresa,  who,  with  her  daughters, 
was  in  Galicia,  finding  the  kingdom  thus  dis 
posed  of,  sent  to  demand  provision  for  herself 
and  the  two  princesses,  who,  in  fact,  were  step 
sisters  of  King  Fernando.  Queen  Berenguela, 
though  she  had  some  reason  not  to  feel  kindly 
disposed  towards  Dona  Theresa,  who  she 
might  think  had  been  exercising  a  secret  in 
fluence  over  her  late  husband,  yet  suppressed 
all  such  feelings,  and  undertook  to  repair  in 
person  to  Galicia,  and  negotiate  this  singular 
family  question.  She  had  an  interview  with 
Queen  Theresa  at  Valencia  de  Merlio  in  Gali 
cia,  and  arranged  a  noble  dower  for  her,  and 
an  annual  revenue  to  each  of  her  daughters  of 
thirty  thousand  maravedis  of  gold.  The  king 
then  had  a  meeting  with  his  sisters  at  Bene- 
vente,  where  they  resigned  all  pretensions  to 
the  throne.  All  the  fortified  places  which  held 
for  them  were  given  up,  and  thus  Fernando 
became  undisputed  sovereign  of  the  two  king 
doms  of  Castile  and  I^eon. 


Cbapter  IDI. 

Expedition  of  the  Prince  Alonzo  against  the  Moors — 
Encamps  on  the  Banks  of  the  Guadalete — Aben 
Hud  Marches  Out  from  Xerez  and  Gives  Battle — 
Prowess  of  Garcia  Perez  de  Vargas — Flight  and 
Pursuit  of  the  Moors — Miracle  of  the  Blessed  San 
tiago. 

KING  FERNANDO  III.  having,  through 
the  sage  counsel  and  judicious  manage 
ment  of  his  mother,  made  this  amica 
ble  arrangement  with  his  step-sisters, 
by  which  he  gained  possession  of  their  inheri 
tance,  now  found  his  territories  to  extend  from 
the  Bay  of  Biscay  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Guad 
alquivir,  and  from  the  borders  of  Portugal  to 
those  of  Aragon  and  Valencia  ;  and  in  addi 
tion  to  his  titles  of  King  of  Castile  and  Leon, 
called  himself  King   of  Spain  by  seigniorial 
right.     Being  at  peace  with  all  his  Christian 
neighbors,  he  now  prepared  to  carry  on  with 
more  zeal  and  vigor  than  ever  his  holy  wars 
274 


tfernan&o  tbe  Saint  275 


against  the  infidels.  While  making  a  progress, 
however,  through  his  dominions,  administer 
ing  justice,  he  sent  his  brother,  the  Prince 
Alonzo,  to  make  an  expedition  into  the  coun 
try  of  the  Moors,  and  to  attack  the  newly-risen 
power  of  Aben  Hud. 

As  the  Prince  Alonzo  was  young  and  of  little 
experience,  the  king  sent  Don  Alvar  Perez  de 
Castro,  the  Castilian,  with  him  as  captain,  he 
being  stout  of  heart,  strong  of  hand,  and 
skilled  in  war.  The  prince  and  his  captain 
went  from  Salamanca  to  Toledo,  where  they 
recruited  their  force  with  a  troop  of  cavalry. 
Thence  they  proceeded  to  Andujar,  where  they 
sent  out  corredores,  or  light  foraging  troops, 
who  laid  waste  the  country,  plundering  and 
destroying  and  bringing  off  great  booty. 
Thence  they  directed  their  ravaging  course  tow 
ard  Cordova,  assaulted  and  carried  Palma,  and 
put  all  its  inhabitants  to  the  sword.  Follow 
ing  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Guadalquivir,  they 
scoured  the  vicinity  of  Seville,  and  continued 
onward  for  Xerez,  sweeping  off  cattle  and 
sheep  from  the  pastures  of  Andalusia  ;  driv 
ing  on  long  cavalgadas  of  horses  and  mules 
laden  with  spoil ;  until  the  earth  shook  with 
the  tramping  of  their  feet,  and  their  course 
was  marked  by  clouds  of  dust  and  the  s 
of  burning  villages. 


276  Spanisb  papers 


In  this  desolating  foray  they  were  joined  by 
two  hundred  horse  and  three  hundred  foot, 
Moorish  allies,  or  rather  vassals,  being  led  by 
the  son  of  Aben  Mohamed,  the  King  of  Baeza. 

Arrived  within  sight  of  Xerez,  they  pitched 
their  tents  on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalete — 
that  fatal  river,  sadly  renowned  in  the  annals 
of  Spain  for  the  overthrow  of  Roderick  and 
the  perdition  of  the  kingdom. 

Here  a  good  watch  was  set  over  the  cap 
tured  flocks  and  herds  which  covered  the  ad 
jacent  meadows,  while  the  soldiers,  fatigued 
with  ravage,  gave  themselves  up  to  repose  on 
the  banks  of  the  river,  or  indulged  in  feasting 
and  revelry,  or  gambled  with  each  other  for 
their  booty. 

In  the  meantime  Aben  Hud,  hearing  of  this 
inroad,  summoned  all  his  chivalry  of  the  sea 
board  of  Andalusia  to  meet  him  in  Xerez. 
They  hastened  to  obey  his  call ;  every  leader 
spurred  for  Xerez  with  his  band  of  vassals. 
Thither  came  also  the  King  of  the  Azules,  with 
seven  hundred  horsemen,  Moors  of  Africa, 
light,  vigorous,  and  active  ;  and  the  city  was 
full  of  troops. 

The  camp  of  Don  Alonzo  had  a  formidable 
appearance  at  a  distance,  from  the  flocks  and 
herds  which  surrounded  it,  the  vast  number  of 
sumpter  mules,  and  the  numerous  captives  ; 


tbe  Safnt  277 


but  when  Aben  Hud  came  to  reconnoitre  it,  he 
found  that  its  aggregate  force  did  not  exceed 
three  thousand  five  hundred  men — a  mere 
handful  in  comparison  to  his  army,  and  those 
encumbered  with  cattle  and  booty.  He  an 
ticipated,  therefore,  an  easy  victory.  He  now 
sallied  forth  from  the  city,  and  took  his  posi 
tion  in  the  olive-fields  between  the  Christians 
and  the  city  ;  while  the  African  horsemen  were 
stationed  on  each  wing,  with  instructions  to 
hem  in  the  Christians  on  either  side,  for  he 
was  only  apprehensive  of  their  escaping.  It  is 
even  said  that  he  ordered  great  quantities  of 
cords  to  be  brought  from  the  city,  and  osier 
bands  to  be  made  by  the  soldiery,  wherewith 
to  bind  the  multitude  of  prisoners  about  to  fall 
into  their  hands.  His  whole  force  he  divided 
into  seven  battalions,  each  containing  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  cavalry. 
With  these  he  prepared  to  give  battle. 

When  the  Christians  thus  saw  an  over 
whelming  force  in  front,  cavalry  hovering  on 
either  flank,  and  the  deep  waters  of  the  Guada- 
lete  behind  them,  they  felt  the  perils  of  their 
situation. 

In  this  emergency  Alvar  Perez  de  Castro 
showed  himself  the  able  captain  that  he  had 
been  represented.  Though  apparently  defer 
ring  to  the  prince  in  council,  he  virtually  took 


278  Spanisb  papers 


command,  riding  among  the  troops  lightly 
armed,  with  truncheon  in  hand,  encouraging 
every  one  by  word  and  look  and  fearless  de 
meanor.  To  give  the  most  formidable  appear 
ance  to  their  little  host,  he  ordered  that  as 
many  as  possible  of  the  foot-soldiers  should 
mount  upon  the  mules  and  beasts  of  burden, 
and  form  a  troop  to  be  kept  in  reserve.  Before 
the  battle  he  conferred  the  honor  of  knight 
hood  on  Garcia  Perez  de  Vargas,  a  cavalier 
destined  to  gain  renown  for  hardy  deeds  of 
arms. 

When  the  troops  were  all  ready  for  the  field, 
the  prince  exhorted  them  as  good  Christians 
to  confess  their  sins  and  obtain  absolution. 
There  was  a  goodly  number  of  priests  and 
friars  with  the  army,  as  there  generally  was 
with  all  the  plundering  expeditions  of  this  holy 
war,  but  there  were  not  enough  to  confess  all 
the  army  ;  those,  therefore,  who  could  not  have 
a  priest  or  monk  for  the  purpose,  confessed  to 
each  other. 

Among  the  cavaliers  were  two  noted  for  their 
valor  ;  but  who,  though  brothers-in-law,  lived 
in  mortal  feud.  One  was  Diego  Perez,  vassal 
to  Alvar  Perez  and  brother  to  him  who  had 
just  been  armed  knight  ;  the  other  was  Pero 
Miguel,  both  natives  of  Toledo.  Diego  Perez 
was  the  one  who  had  given  cause  of  offense. 


jfernanDo  tbe  Saint  279 


He  now  approached  his  adversary  and  asked 
his  pardon  for  that  day  only  ;  that,  in  a  time 
of  such  mortal  peril^  there  might  not  be  enmity 
and  malice  in  their  hearts.  The  priests  added 
their  exhortations  to  this  request,  but  Pero 
Miguel  sternly  refused  pardon.  When  this 
was  told  to  the  prince  and  Don  Alvar,  they 
likewise  entreated  Don  Miguel  to  pardon  his 
brother-in-law.  ' '  I  will, ' '  replied  he,  ' '  if  he 
will  come  to  my  arms  and  embrace  me  as  a 
brother. ' '  But  Diego  Perez  declined  the  fra 
ternal  embrace,  for  he  saw  danger  in  the  eye 
of  Pero  Miguel,  and  he  knew  his  savage 
strength  and  savage  nature,  and  suspected 
that  he  meant  to  strangle  him.  So  Pero  Mi 
guel  went  into  battle  without  pardoning  his 
enemy  who  had  implored  forgiveness. 

At  this  time,  say  the  old  chroniclers,  the 
shouts  and  yells  of  the  Moorish  army,  the 
sound  of  their  cymbals,  kettle-drums,  and 
other  instruments  of  warlike  music  were  so 
great  that  heaven  and  earth  seemed  commin 
gled  and  confounded.  In  regarding  the  battle 
about  to  overwhelm  him,  Alvar  Perez  saw  that 
the  only  chance  was  to  form  the  whole  army 
into  one  mass,  and  by  a  headlong  assault  to 
break  the  centre  of  the  enemy.  In  this  emer 
gency  he  sent  word  to  the  prince,  who  was  in 
the  rear  with  the  reserve  and  had  five  hundred 


280  Spanfsb  papers 


captives  in  charge,  to  strike  off  the  heads  of 
the  captives  and  join  him  with  the  whole  re 
serve.  This  bloody  order  was  obeyed.  The 
prince  came  to  the  front,  all  formed  together 
in  one  dense  column,  and  then,  with  the  war- 
cry,  "  Santiago  !  Santiago  !  Castile  !  Castile  !  " 
charged  upon  the  centre  of  the  enemy.  The 
Moors'  line  was  broken  by  the  shock,  squadron 
after  squadron  was  thrown  into  confusion, 
Moors  and  Christians  were  intermingled,  until 
the  field  became  one  scene  of  desperate,  chance- 
medley  fighting.  Every  Christian  cavalier 
fought  as  if  the  salvation  of  the  field  de 
pended  upon  his  single  arm.  Garcia  Perez  de 
Vargas,  who  had  been  knighted  just  before  the 
battle,  proved  himself  worthy  of  the  honor. 
He  had  three  horses  killed  under  him,  and 
engaged  in  a  desperate  combat  with  the  King 
of  the  Azules,  whom  at  length  he  struck  dead 
from  his  horse.  The  king  had  crossed  from 
Africa  on  a  devout  expedition  in  the  cause  of 
the  Prophet  Mahomet.  "  Verily,"  says  An 
tonio  Agapida,  "  he  had  his  reward." 

Diego  Perez  was  not  behind  his  brother  in 
prowess ;  and  Heaven  favored  him  in  that 
deadly  fight,  notwithstanding  that  he  had  not 
been  pardoned  by  his  enemy.  In  the  heat  of 
the  battle  he  had  broken  both  sword  and  lance  ; 
whereupon,  tearing  off  a  great  knotted  limb 


tbe  Saint  281 


from  an  olive-tree,  he  laid  about  him  with 
such  vigor  and  manhood  that  he  who  got  one 
blow  in  the  head  from  the  war-club  never 
needed  another.  Don  Alvar  Perez,  who  wit 
nessed  his  feats,  was  seized  with  delight.  At 
each  fresh  blow  that  cracked'  a  Moslem  skull 
he  would  cry  out :  * '  Assi  !  assi !  Diego  ;  ma- 
chacha  !  machacha  ! ' '  (So  !  so  !  Diego ;  smash 
them  !  smash  them  ! )  and  from  that  day  for 
ward  that  strong-handed  cavalier  went  by  the 
name  of  Diego  Machacha,  or  Diego  the 
Smasher,  and  it  remained  the  surname  of  sev 
eral  of  his  lineage. 

At  length  the  Moors  gave  way  and  fled  for 
the  gates  of  Xerez  ;  being  hotly  pursued  they 
stumbled  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  and  thus 
many  were  taken  prisoners.  At  the  gates  the 
press  was  so  great  that  they  killed  each  other 
in  striving  to  enter ;  and  the  Christian  sword 
made  slaughter  under  the  walls. 

The  Christians  gathered  spoils  of  the  field, 
after  this  victory,  until  they  were  fatigued  with 
collecting  them,  and  the  precious  articles  found 
in  the  Moorish  tents  were  beyond  calculation. 
Their  camp-fires  were  supplied  with  the  shafts 
of  broken  lances,  and  they  found  ample  use 
for  the  cords  and  osier  bands  which  the  Moors 
had  provided  to  bind  their  expected  captives. 

It  was  a  theme  of  much  marvel  and  solemn 


282  Spanisb  papers 


meditation  that  of  all  the  distinguished  cava 
liers  who  entered  into  this  battle,  not  one  was 
lost,  excepting  the  same  Pero  Miguel  who 
refused  to  pardon  his  adversary.  What  be 
came  of  him  no  one  could  tell.  The  last  that 
was  seen  of  him  he  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
enemy,  cutting  down  and  overturning,  for  he 
was  a  valiant  warrior  and  of  prodigious 
strength.  When  the  battle  and  pursuit  were 
at  an  end,  and  the  troops  were  recalled  by 
sound  of  trumpet,  he  did  not  appear.  His 
tent  remained  empty.  The  field  of  battle  was 
searched,  but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
Some  supposed  that,  in  his  fierce  eagerness  to 
make  havoc  among  the  Moors,  he  had  entered 
the  gates  of  the  city  and  there  been  slain  ;  but 
his  fate  remained  a  mere  matter  of  conjecture, 
and  the  whole  was  considered  an  awful  warn 
ing  that  no  Christian  should  go  into  battle 
without  pardoning  those  who  asked  forgive 
ness. 

"On  this  day,"  says  the  worthy  Agapida, 
* '  it  pleased  Heaven  to  work  one  of  its  miracles 
in  favor  of  the  Christian  host ;  for  the  blessed 
Santiago  appeared  in  the  air  on  a  white  horse, 
with  a  white  banner  in  one  hand  and  a  sword 
in  the  other,  accompanied  by  a  band  of  cava 
liers  in  white.  This  miracle,"  he  adds,  "was 
beheld  by  many  men  of  veritj*  and  worth," 


jfecnanDo  tbe  Saint  283 


probably  the  monks  and  priests  who  accom 
panied  the  army,  ' '  as  well  as  by  numbers  of  the 
Moors,  who  declared  that  the  greatest  slaughter 
was  effected  by  those  sainted  warriors." 

It  may  be  as  well  to  add  that  Fray  Antonio 
Agapida  is  supported  in  this  marvellous  fact  by 
Rodrigo,  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  one  of  the 
most  learned  and  pious  men  of  the  age,  who 
lived  at  the  time  and  records  it  in  his  chronicle. 
It  is  a  matter,  therefore,  placed  beyond  the 
doubts  of  the  profane. 

NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. — A  memorandum  at  the  foot 
of  this  page  of  the  author's  manuscript  reminds  him 
to  "  notice  death  of  Queen  Beatrix  about  this  time," 
but  the  text  continues  silent  on  the  subject.  Accord 
ing  to  Mariana,  she  died  in  the  city  of  Toro  in  1235, 
before  the  siege  of  Cordova.  Another  authority  gives 
the  5th  of  November,  1236,  as  the  date  of  the  decease, 
which  would  be  some  months  after  the  downfall  of 
that  renowned  city.  Her  body  was  interred  in  the 
nunnery  of  Las  Huelgad  at  Burgos,  and  many  years 
afterwards  removed  to  Seville,  where  reposed  the  re 
mains  of  her  husband. 


Cbapter  OT1L 

A  Bold  Attempt  upou  Cordova,  the  Seat  of  Moorish 
Power. 


ABOUT  this  time  certain  Christian  cava 
liers  of  the  frontiers  received  informa 
tion  from  Moorish  captives  that  the 
noble  city  of  Cordova  was  negligently 
guarded,  so  that  the  suburbs  might  easily  be 
surprised.     They  immediately  concerted  a  bold 
attempt,  and  sent  to  Pedro  and  Alvar  Perez, 
who  were  at  Martos,  entreating  them  to  aid 
them  with  their  vassals.     Having  collected  a 
sufficient  force,  and  prepared  scaling  ladders, 
they  approached  the  city  on  a  dark  night  in 
January,  amid  showers  of  rain  and  howling 
blasts,  which  prevented  their  footsteps  being 
heard.     Arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  ramparts, 
they   listened,   but    could    hear  no    sentinel. 
The  guards  had  shrunk  into  the  watch-towers 
for  shelter  from   the  pelting  storm,   and  the 
284 


ffernanfco  tbc  Saint  ^ 

garrison  was  in  profound  sleep,  for  it  was  the 
midwatch  of  the  night. 

Some,  disheartened  by  the  difficulties  of  the 
place,  were  for  abandoning  the  attempt,  but 
Domingo  Munoz,  their  adalid,  or  guide,  en 
couraged  them.  Silently  fastening  ladders  to 
gether,  so  as  to  be  of  sufficient  length,  they 
placed  them  against  one  of  the  towers.  The 
first  who  mounted  were  Alvar  Colodro  and 
Benito  de  Banos,  who  were  dressed  as  Moors 
and  spoke  the  Arabic  language.  The  tower 
which  they  scaled  is  to  this  day  called  the 
tower  of  Alvar  Colodro.  Entering  it  suddenly 
but  silently,  they  found  four  Moors  asleep, 
whom  they  seized  and  threw  over  the  battle 
ments,  and  the  Christians  below  immediately 
despatched  them.  By  this  time  a  number 
more  of  Christians  had  mounted  the  ladder, 
and  sallying  forth,  sword  in  hand,  upon  the 
wall,  they  gained  possession  of  several  towers 
and  of  the  gate  of  Martos.  Throwing  open 
the  gate,  Pero  Ruyz  Tabur  galloped  in  at  the 
head  of  a  squadron  of  horse,  and  by  the  dawn 
of  day  the  whole  suburbs  of  Cordova,  called 
the  Axarquia,  were  in  their  possession ;  the 
inhabitants  having  hastily  gathered  such  of 
their  most  valuable  effects  as  they  could  carry 
with  them,  and  taken  refuge  in  the  city. 

The  cavaliers  now  barricaded  every  street  of 


286  Spanisb  papers 


the  suburbs  excepting  the  principal  one,  which 
was  broad  and  straight ;  the  Moors,  however, 
made  frequent  sallies  upon  them,  or  showered 
down  darts  and  arrows  and  stones  from  the 
walls  and  towers  of  the  city.  The  cavaliers 
soon  found  that  they  had  got  into  warm  quar 
ters,  which  it  would  cost  them  blood  and  toil 
to  maintain.  They  sent  off  messengers,  there 
fore,  to  Don  Alvar  Perez,  then  at  Martos,  and 
to  King  Fernando,  at  Benevente,  craving  in 
stant  aid.  The  messenger  to  the  king  trav 
elled  day  and  night,  and  found  the  king  at 
table,  when,  kneeling  down,  he  presented  the 
letter  with  which  he  was  charged. 

No  sooner  had  the  king  read  the  letter  than 
he  called  for  horse  and  weapon.  All  Benevente 
instantly  resounded  with  the  clang  of  arms 
and  tramp  of  steed ;  couriers  galloped  off  in 
every  direction,  rousing  the  towns  and  villages 
to  arms,  and  ordering  every  one  to  join  the 
king  on  the  frontier.  ' '  Cordova  !  Cordova  ! ' ' 
was  the  war-cry, — that  proud  city  of  the  infi 
dels  !  that  seat  of  Moorish  power  !  The  king 
waited  not  to  assemble  a  great  force,  but,  within 
an  hour  after  receiving  the  letter,  was  on  the 
road  with  a  hundred  good  cavaliers. 

It  was  the  depth  of  winter  ;  the  rivers  were 
swollen  with  rain.  The  royal  party  were  often 
obliged  to  halt  on  the  bank  of  some  raging 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  287 


stream  until  its  waters  should  subside.  The 
king  was  all  anxiety  and  impatience.  Cor 
dova  !  Cordova  !  was  the  prize  to  be  won,  and 
the  cavaliers  might  be  driven  out  of  the  sub 
urbs  before  he  could  arrive  to  their  assistance. 

Arrived  at  Cordova,  he  proceeded  to  the 
bridge  of  Alcolea,  where  he  pitched  his  tents 
and  displayed  the  royal  standard. 

Before  the  arrival  of  the  king,  Alvar  Perez 
had  hastened  from  the  castle  of  Martos  with  a 
body  of  troops,  and  thrown  himself  into  the 
suburbs.  Many  warriors,  both  horse  and  foot, 
had  likewise  hastened  from  the  frontiers  and 
from  the  various  towns  to  which  the  king  had 
sent  his  mandates.  Some  came  to  serve  the 
king,  others  out  of  devotion  to  the  holy  faith, 
some  to  gain  renown,  and  not  a  few  to  aid  in 
plundering  the  rich  city  of  Cordova.  There 
were  many  monks,  also,  who  had  come  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  benefit  of  their  convents. 

When  the  Christians  in  the  suburbs  saw  the 
royal  standard  floating  above  the  camp  of  the 
king,  they  shouted  for  joy,  and  in  the  exulta 
tion  of  the  moment  forgot  all  past  dangers  and 
hardships. 


Cbapter 

A  Spy  in  the  Christian  Camp— Death  of  Aben  Hud— 
A  Vital  Blow  to  Moslem  Power — Surrender  of  Cor 
dova  to  King  Fernando. 

ABEN  HUD,  the  Moorish  chief,  who  had 
been    defeated    by   Alvar    Perez   and 
Prince  Alonzo   before   Xerez,   was  at 
this  time  in  Bcija  with  a  large  force, 
and  disposed  to  hasten  to  the  aid  of  Cordova, 
but  his  recent  defeat  had  made  him  cautious. 
He  had  in  his  camp  a  Christian  cavalier,  Don 
I/)renzo  Xuares  by  name,  who  had  been  ban 
ished  from  Castile  by  King  Fernando.     This 
cavalier  offered  to  go  as  a  spy  into  the  Chris 
tian   camp,    accompanied    by  three   Christian 
horsemen,  and  to  bring  accounts  of  its  situa 
tion  and  strength.     His  offer  was  gladly  ac 
cepted,  and  Aben  Hud  promised  to  do  nothing 
with  his  forces  until  his  return. 

Don   I/orenzo    set    out    privately  with  his 
companions,  and  when  he  came  to  the  end  of 
288 


ffernan&o  tbe  Saint  289 


ihe  bridge  he  alighted  and  took  one  of  the 
three  with  him,  leaving  the  other  two  to  guard 
the  horses.  He  entered  the  camp  without  im 
pediment,  and  saw  that  it  was  small  and  of 
but  little  force ;  for,  though  recruits  had  re 
paired  from  all  quarters,  they  had  as  yet 
arrived  in  but  scanty  numbers. 

As  Don  Lorenzo  approached  the  camp  he 
saw  a  montero  who  stood  sentinel.  '  *  Friend, ' ' 
said  he,  ' '  do  me  the  kindness  to  call  to  me 
some  person  who  is  about  the  king,  as  I  have 
something  to  tell  him  of  great  importance." 
The  sentinel  went  in,  and  brought  out  Don 
Otiella.  Don  Lorenzo  took  him  aside  and  said  : 
"  Do  you  not  know  me?  I  am  Don  Lorenzo. 
I  pray  you  tell  the  king  that  I  entreat  permis 
sion  to  enter  and  communicate  matters  touch 
ing  his  safety." 

Don  Otiella  went  in  and  awoke  the  king, 
who  was  sleeping,  and  obtained  permission  for 
Don  Lorenzo  to  enter.  When  the  king  beheld 
him  he  was  wroth  at  his  presuming  to  return 
from  exile ;  but  Don  Lorenzo  replied  :  ' '  Senor, 
your  majesty  banished  me  to  the  land  of  the 
Moors  to  do  me  harm,  but  I  believe  it  was  in 
tended  by  Heaven  for  the  welfare  both  of  your 
majesty  and  myself."  Then  he  apprised  the 
king  of  the  intention  of  Aben  Hud  to  come 

with  a  great   force  against  him,  and  of  the 

19 


290  Spanish 


doubts  and  fears  he  entertained  lest  the  army 
of  the  king  should  be  too  powerful.  Don 
Lorenzo,  therefore,  advised  the  king  to  draw 
off  as  many  troops  as  could  be  spared  from  the 
suburbs  of  Cordova,  and  to  give  his  camp  as 
formidable  an  aspect  as  possible  ;  and  that  he 
would  return  and  give  Aben  Hud  such  an 
account  of  the  power  of  the  royal  camp  as 
would  deter  him  from  the  attack.  "  If, "  con 
tinued  Don  I^orenzo,  "  I  fail  in  diverting  him 
from  his  enterprise,  I  will  come  off  with  all  my 
vassals  and  offer  myself,  and  all  I  can  com 
mand,  for  the  service  of  your  majesty,  and 
hope  to  be  accepted  for  my  good  intentions. 
As  to  what  takes  place  in  the  Moorish  camp, 
from  hence,  in  three  days,  I  will  send  your 
majesty  letters  by  this  my  squire." 

The  king  thanked  Don  Lorenzo  for  his  good 
intentions,  and  pardoned  him,  and  took  him 
as  his  vassal ;  and  Don  Lorenzo  said  :  "I  be 
seech  your  majesty  to  order  that  for  three  or 
four  nights  there  be  made  great  fires  in  various 
parts  of  the  camp,  so  that  in  case  Aben  Hud 
should  send  scouts  by  night,  there  may  be  the 
appearance  of  a  great  host. ' '  The  king  prom 
ised  it  should  be  done,  and  Don  Lorenzo  took 
his  leave ;  rejoining  his  companions  at  the 
bridge,  they  mounted  their  horses  and  trav 
elled  all  night,  and  returned  to  Kcija. 


jfernan&o  tbe  Saint  291 


When  Don  Lorenzo  appeared  in  presence  of 
Aben  Hud  he  had  the  air  of  one  fatigued  and 
careworn.  To  the  inquiries  of  the  Moor  he 
returned  answers  full  of  alarm,  magnifying  the 
power  and  condition  of  the  royal  forces. 
' '  Senor, ' '  added  he,  ' ' if  you  would  be  assured 
of  the  truth  of  what  I  say,  send  out  your  scouts, 
and  they  will  behold  the  Christian  tents  whiten 
ing  all  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir,  and 
covering  the  country  as  the  snow  covers  the 
mountains  of  Granada  ;  or  at  night  they  will  see 
fires  on  hill  and  dale  illumining  all  the  land." 

This  intelligence  redoubled  the  doubts  and 
apprehensions  of  Aben  Hud.  On  the  following 
day  two  Moorish  horsemen  arrived  in  all  haste 
from  Zaen,  King  of  Valencia,  informing  him 
that  King  James  of  Aragon  was  coming  against 
that  place  with  a  powerful  army,  and  offering 
him  the  supremacy  of  the  place  if  he  would 
hasten  with  all  speed  to  its  relief. 

Aben  Hud,  thus  perplexed  between  two 
objects,  asked  advice  of  his  counsellors,  among 
whom  was  the  perfidious  Don  Lorenzo.  They 
observed  that  the  Christians,  though  they  had 
possession  of  the  suburbs  of  Cordova,  could 
not  for  a  long  time  master  the  place.  He 
would  have  time,  therefore,  to  relieve  Valencia, 
and  then  turn  his  arms  and  those  of  King  Zaen 
against  the  host  of  King  Fernando. 


292  Spanteb  papers 


Aben  Hud  listened  to  their  advice,  and 
marched  immediately  for  Almeria,  to  take 
thence  his  ships  to  guard  the  port  of  Valencia. 
While  at  Almeria  a  Moor  named  Aben  Arra- 
min,  and  who  was  his  especial  favorite,  invited 
him  to  a  banquet.  The  unsuspecting  Aben 
Hud  threw  off  his  cares  for  the  time,  and, 
giving  loose  to  conviviality  in  the  house  of  his 
favorite,  drank  freely  of  the  wine-cup  that  was 
insidiously  pressed  upon  him,  until  he  became 
intoxicated.  He  was  then  suffocated  by  the 
traitor  in  a  trough  of  water,  and  it  was  given 
out  that  he  had  died  of  apoplexy. 

At  the  death  of  Aben  Hud,  his  host  fell 
asunder,  and  every  one  hied  him  to  his  home, 
whereupon  Don  Lorenzo  and  the  Christians 
who  were  with  him  hastened  to  King  Fernando, 
by  whom  they  were  graciously  received  and 
admitted  into  his  royal  sendee. 

The  death  of  Aben  Hud  was  a  vital  blow  to 
Moslem  power,  and  spread  confusion  through 
out  Andalusia.  When  the  people  of  Cordova 
heard  of  it,  and  of  the  dismemberment  of  his 
army,  all  courage  withered  from  their  hearts. 
Day  after  day  the  army  of  King  Fernando  was 
increasing ;  the  roads  were  covered  with  foot- 
soldiers  hastening  to  his  standard  ;  every  hidal 
go  who  could  bestride  a  horse  spurred  to  the 
banks  of  the  Guadalquivir  to  be  present  at 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  293 


the  downfall  of  Cordova.  The  noblest  cava 
liers  of  Castile  were  continually  seen  marching 
into  the  camp  with  banners  flying  and  long 
trains  of  retainers. 

The  inhabitants  held  out  as  long  as  there 
was  help  or  hope ;  but  they  were  exhausted 
by  frequent  combats  and  long  and  increasing 
famine,  and  now  the  death  of  Aben  Hud 
cut  off  all  chance  of  succor.  With  sad  and 
broken  spirits,  therefore,  they  surrendered  their 
noble  city  to  King  Fernando,  after  a  siege  of 
six  months  and  six  days.  The  surrender  took 
place  on  Sunday,  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  July, 
the  feast  of  the  glorious  Apostles  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul,  in  the  year  of  the  Incarnation  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty-six. 

The  inhabitants  were  permitted  to  march 
forth  in  personal  safety,  but  to  take  nothing 
with  them.  "Thus,"  exclaims  the  pious 
Agapida,  ' '  was  the  city  of  Cordova,  the  queen 
of  the  cities  of  Andalusia,  which  so  long  had 
been  the  seat  of  the  power  and  grandeur  of  the 
Moors,  cleansed  from  all  the  impurities  of 
Mahomet  and  restored  to  the  dominion  of  the 
true  faith." 

King  Fernando  immediately  ordered  the 
cross  to  be  elevated  on  the  tower  of  the  princi 
pal  mosque,  and  beside  it  the  royal  standard  ; 
while  the  bishops,  the  clergy,  and  all  the 


294  Spanfsb  papers 


people  chanted  Te  Deum  Laudamus,  as  a  song 
of  triumph  for  this  great  victory  of  the  faith.* 
The  king,  having  now  gained  full  possession 
of  the  city,  began  to  repair,  embellish,  and 
improve  it.  The  grand  mosque,  the  great 
est  and  most  magnificent  in  Spain,  was  now 
converted  into  a  holy  Catholic  church.  The 
bishops  and  other  clergy  walked  round  it  in 
solemn  procession,  sprinkling  holy  water  in 
every  nook  and  corner,  and  performing  all 
other  rites  and  ceremonies  necessary  to  purify 
and  sanctify  it.  They  erected  an  altar  in  it, 
also,  in  honor  of  the  Virgin,  and  chanted 
masses  with  great  fervor  and  unction.  In  this 
way  they  consecrated  it  to  the  true  faith,  and 
made  it  the  cathedral  of  the  city. 

In  this  mosque  were  found  the  bells  of  the 
church  of  San  lago  in  Galicia,  which  the 
Alhagib  Almanzor,  in  the  year  of  our  Redemp 
tion  nine  hundred  and  seventy-five,  had 
brought  off  in  triumph  and  placed  here,  turned 
with  their  mouths  upward  to  serve  as  lamps, 
and  remain  shining  mementos  of  his  victory. 
King  Fernando  ordered  that  these  bells  should 
be  restored  to  the  church  of  San  lago  ;  and  as 
Christians  had  been  obliged  to  bring  those 
bells  hither  on  their  shoulders,  so  infidels  were 
compelled  in  like  manner  to  carry  them  back. 

*  Cron.  Gen.  de  Espafia,  pt.  4.     Bleda,  lib.  4,  c.  10. 


jFernan&o  tbc  Saint  295 


Great  was  the  popular  triumph  when  these 
bells  had  their  tongues  restored  to  them,  and 
were  once  more  enabled  to  fill  the  air  with 
their  holy  clangor. 

Having  ordered  all  things  for  the  security 
and  welfare  of  the  city,  the  king  placed  it 
under  the  government  of  Don  Tello  Alonzo  de 
Meneses ;  he  appointed  Don  Alvar  Perez  de 
Castro,  also,  general  of  the  frontier,  having  his 
stronghold  in  the  castle  of  the  rock  of  Martos. 
The  king  then  returned,  covered  with  glory, 
to  Toledo. 

The  fame  of  the  recovery  of  the  renowned 
city  of  Cordova,  which  for  five  hundred  and 
twenty-two  years  had  been  in  the  power  of  the 
infidels,  soon  spread  throughout  the  kingdom, 
and  people  came  crowding  from  every  part  to 
inhabit  it.  The  gates  which  lately  had  been 
thronged  with  steel-clad  warriors  were  now  be 
sieged  by  peaceful  wayfarers  of  all  kinds,  con 
ducting  trains  of  mules  laden  with  their  effects 
and  all  their  household  wealth  ;  and  so  great 
was  the  throng  that  in  a  little  while  there  were 
not  houses  sufficient  to  receive  them. 

King  Fernando,  having  restored  the  bells  to 
San  lago,  had  others  suspended  in  the  tower 
of  the  mosque,  whence  the  muezzin  had  been 
accustomed  to  call  the  Moslems  to  their  wor 
ship.  "  When  the  pilgrims,"  says  Fray  An- 


2g6 


Spanteb  papers 


tonio  Agapida,  "who  repaired  to  Cordova, 
heard  the  holy  sound  of  these  bells  chiming 
from  the  tower  of  the  cathedral,  their  hearts 
leaped  for  joy,  and  they  invoked  blessings  on 
the  head  of  the  pious  King  Fernando. 


Cbaptet  Iff* 

Marriage  of  King  Fernando  to  the  Princess  Juana — 
Famine  at  Cordova — Don  Alvar  Perez. 

WHEN  Queen  Berenguela  beheld  King 
Fernando    returning    in    triumph 
from  the  conquest  of  Cordova,  her 
heart  was  lifted  up  with  transport, 
for  there  is  nothing  that  more  rejoices  the  heart 
of  a  mother  than  the  true  glory  of  her  son.  The 
queen,  however,  as  has  been  abundantly  shown, 
was  a  woman  of  great  sagacity  and  forecast. 
She  considered  that  upwards  of  two  years  had 
elapsed  since  the  death  of  the  Queen  Beatrix, 
and  that  her  son  was  living   in  widowhood. 
It  is  true  he  was  of  quiet  temperament,  and 
seemed  sufficiently  occupied  by  the  cares  of 
government  and  the  wars  for  the  faith  ;  so  that 
apparently  he  had  no  thought  of  further  mat 
rimony  ;    but   the  shrewd  mother  considered 
likewise  that  he  was  in  the  prime  and  vigor 
297 


-98  Spanlsb  papers 


of  his  days,  renowned  in  arms,  noble  and  com 
manding  in  person,  and  gracious  and  capti 
vating  in  manners,  and  surrounded  by  the 
temptations  of  a  court.  True,  he  was  a  saint 
in  spirit,  but,  after  all,  in  flesh  he  was  a  man, 
and  might  be  led  away  into  those  weaknesses 
very  incident  to,  but  highly  unbecoming  of, 
the  exalted  state  of  princes.  The  good  mother 
was  anxious,  therefore,  that  he  should  enter 
again  into  the  secure  and  holy  state  of  wed 
lock. 

King  Fernando,  a  mirror  of  obedience  to  his 
mother,  readily  concurred  with  her  views  in 
the  present  instance,  and  left  it  to  her  judg 
ment  and  discretion  to  make  a  choice  for  him. 
The  choice  fell  upon  the  Princess  Juana, 
daughter  of  the  Count  of  Pothier,  and  a  de 
scendant  of  I/)uis  the  Seventh  of  France.  The 
marriage  was  negotiated  by  Queen  Beren- 
guela  with  the  Count  of  Pothier ;  and  the 
conditions  being  satisfactorily  arranged,  the 
princess  was  conducted  in  due  state  to  Burgos, 
where  the  nuptials  were  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  and  ceremony. 

The  king,  as  well  as  his  subjects,  was  highly 
satisfied  with  the  choice  of  the  sage  Beren^ 
guela,  for  the  bride  was  young,  beautiful,  and 
of  stately  form,  and  conducted  herself  with 
admirable  suavity  and  grace. 


tbc  Saint  299 


After  the  rejoicings  were  over,  King  Fer 
nando  departed  with  his  bride  and  visited  the 
principal  cities  and  towns  of  Castile  and  Leon  ; 
receiving  the  homage  of  his  subjects,  and  ad 
ministering  justice  according  to  the  primitive 
forms  of  those  days,  when  sovereigns  attended 
personally  to  the  petitions  and  complaints  of 
their  subjects,  and  went  about  hearing  causes 
and  redressing  grievances. 

In  the  course  of  his  progress,  hearing  while 
at  Toledo  of  a  severe  famine  which  prevailed 
at  Cordova,  he  sent  a  large  supply  of  money 
to  that  city,  and  at  the  same  time  issued  orders 
to  various  parts,  to  transport  thither  as  much 
grain  as  possible.  The  calamity,  however, 
went  on  increasing.  The  conquest  of  Cordova 
had  drawn  thither  great  multitudes,  expecting 
to  thrive  on  the  well-known  fertility  and 
abundance  of  the  country.  But  the  Moors, 
in  the  agitation  of  the  time,  had  almost  ceased 
to  cultivate  their  fields ;  the  troops  helped  to 
consume  the  supplies  on  hand ;  there  were 
few  hands  to  labor  and  an  infinity  of  mouths 
to  eat,  and  the  cry  of  famine  went  on  daily 
growing  more  intense. 

Upon  this,  Don  Alvar  Perez,  who  had  com 
mand  of  the  frontier,  set  off  to  represent  the 
case  in  person  to  the  king  ;  for  one  living 
word  from  the  mouth  is  more  effective  than  a 


300  Spanisb  papers 


thousand  dead  words  from  the  pen.  He  found 
the  king  at  Valladolid,  deeply  immersed  in  the 
religious  exercises  of  Holy  Week,  and  much 
did  it  grieve  this  saintly  monarch,  say  his 
chroniclers,  to  be  obliged  even  for  a  moment 
to  quit  the  holy  quiet  of  the  church  for  the 
worldly  bustle  of  the  palace,  to  lay  by  the 
saint  and  enact  the  sovereign.  Having  heard 
the  representations  of  Don  Alvar  Perez,  he 
forthwith  gave  him  ample  funds  wherewith 
to  maintain  his  castles,  his  soldiers,  and  even 
the  idlers  who  thronged  about  the  frontier, 
and  who  would  be  useful  subjects  when  the 
times  should  become  settled.  Satisfied,  also, 
of  the  zeal  and  loyalty  of  Alvar  Perez,  which 
had  been  so  strikingly  displayed  in  the  pres 
ent  instance,  he  appointed  him  adelantado  of 
the  whole  frontier  of  Andalusia — an  office 
equivalent  to  that  at  present  called  viceroy. 
Don  Alvar  hastened  back  to  execute  his  mis 
sion  and  enter  upon  his  new  office.  He  took 
his  station  at  Martos,  in  its  rock-built  castle, 
which  was  the  key  of  all  that  frontier,  whence 
he  could  carry  relief  to  any  point  of  his  com 
mand,  and  could  make  occasional  incursions 
into  the  territories.  The  following  chapter 
will  show  the  cares  and  anxieties  which 
awaited  him  in  his  new  command. 


Cbapter  £ . 

Aben  Alhamar,  Founder  of  the  Alhambra— Fortifies 
Granada  and  Makes  it  his  Capital — Attempts  to 
Surprise  the  Castle  of  Martos — Peril  of  the  Fortress 
— A  Woman's  Stratagem  to  Save  it — Diego  Perez, 
the  Smasher — Death  of  Count  Alvar  Perez  de 
Castro. 

ON  the  death  of  Aben  Hud,  the  Moorish 
power  in  Spain  was  broken  up  into 
factions,  as  has   already  been   men 
tioned,  but  these  factions  were  soon 
united  under  one  head,  who  threatened  to  be 
a  formidable  adversary  to  the  Christians.     This 
was  Mohammed  ben   Alhamar,  or  Aben   Al- 
harnar,  as  he  is  commonly  called  in   history. 
He  was  a  native  of  Arjona,  of  noble  descent, 
being  of  the  Beni  Nasar,  or  race  of  Nasar,  and 
had  been  educated  in  a  manner  befitting  his 
rank,     Arrived  at  manly  years,  he  had  been 
appointed  alcayde  of  Arjona  and  Jaen,  and  had 
distinguished  himself  by  the  j  ustice  and  benig 
nity  of  his  rule.    He  was  intrepid,  also,  and  am- 
301 


302  Spanlsb  papers 


bitious,  and  during  the  late  dissensions  among 
the  Moslems  had  extended  his  territories,  mak 
ing  himself  master  of  many  strong  places. 

On  the  death  of  Aben  Hud,  he  made  a  mili 
tary  circuit  through  the  Moorish  territories, 
and  was  everywhere  hailed  with  acclamations 
as  the  only  one  who  could  save  the  Moslem 
power  in  Spain  from  annihilation.  At  length 
he  entered  Granada  amidst  the  enthusiastic 
shouts  of  the  populace.  He  was  proclaimed 
king,  and  found  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Mos 
lems  of  Spain,  being  the  first  of  his  illustrious 
line  that  ever  sat  upon  a  throne.  It  needs 
nothing  more  to  give  lasting  renown  to  Aben 
Alhamar  than  to  say  he  was  the  founder  of 
the  Alhambra,  that  magnificent  monument 
which  to  this  day  bears  testimony  to  Moorish 
taste  and  splendor.  As  yet,  however,  Aben 
Alhamar  had  not  time  to  indulge  in  the 
arts  of  peace.  He  saw  the  storm  of  war 
that  threatened  his  newly  founded  kingdom, 
and  prepared  to  buffet  with  it.  The  territories 
of  Granada  extended  along  the  coast  from 
Algeziras  almost  to  Murcia,  and  inland  as  far 
as  Jaen  and  Huescar.  All  the  frontiers  he 
hastened  to  put  in  a  state  of  defense,  while  he 
strongly  fortified  the  city  of  Granada,  which 
he  made  his  capital. 

By  the  Mahometan  law  every  citizen   is  a 


tfernan&o  tbe  Saint  303 


soldier,  and  to  take  arms  in  defense  of  the 
country  and  the  faith  is  a  religious  and  im 
perative  duty.  Aben  Alhamar,  however,  knew 
the  unsteadiness  of  hastily  levied  militia,  and 
organized  a  standing  force  to  garrison  his  forts 
and  cities,  the  expense  of  which  he  defrayed 
from  his  own  revenues.  The  Moslem  warriors 
from  all  parts  now  rallied  under  his  standard, 
and  fifty  thousand  Moors,  abandoning  Valencia 
on  the  conquest  of  that  country  by  the  king  of 
Aragon,  hastened  to  put  themselves  under  the 
dominion  of  Aben  Alhamar. 

Don  Alvar  Perez,  on  returning  to  his  post, 
had  intelligence  of  all  these  circumstances,  and 
perceived  that  he  had  not  sufficient  force  to 
make  head  against  such  a  formidable  neighbor, 
and  that,  in  fact,  the  whole  frontier,  so  recently 
wrested  from  the  Moors,  was  in  danger  of  be 
ing  reconquered.  With  his  old  maxim,  there 
fore,  ' '  There  is  more  life  in  one  word  from  the 
mouth  than  in  a  thousand  words  from  the  pen, ' ' 
he  determined  to  have  another  interview  with 
King  Fernando,  and  acquaint  him  with  the 
imminent  dangers  impending  over  the  frontier. 

He  accordingly  took  his  departure  with  great 
secrecy,  leaving  his  countess  and  her  women 
and  donzellas  in  his  castle  of  the  rock  of  Martos, 
guarded  by  his  nephew  Don  Tello  and  forty 
chosen  men. 


«* 

304  Spanisb  papers 


The  departure  of  Don  Alvar  Perez  was  not 
so  secret,  however,  but  that  Aben  Alhamar 
had  notice  of  it  by  his  spies,  and  he  resolved 
to  make  an  attempt  to  surprise  the  castle  of 
Martos,  which,  as  has  been  said,  was  the  key 
to  all  this  frontier. 

Don  Tello,  who  had  been  left  in  command 
of  the  fortress,  was  a  young  galliard,  full  of 
the  fire  of  youth,  and  he  had  several  hardy  and 
adventurous  cavaliers  with  him,  among  whom 
was  Diego  Perez  de  Vargas,  surnamed  Macha- 
cha,  or  the  Smasher,  for  his  exploits  at  the 
battle  of  Xerez  in  smashing  the  heads  of  the 
Moors  with  the  limb  of  an  olive-tree.  These 
hot-blooded  cavaliers,  looking  out  like  hawks 
from  their  mountain  hold,  were  seized  with  an 
irresistible  inclination  to  make  a  foray  into  the 
lands  of  their  Moorish  neighbors.  On  a  bright 
morning  they  accordingly  set  forth,  promising 
the  donzellas  of  the  castle  to  bring  them  jewels 
and  rich  silks,  the  spoils  of  Moorish  women. 

The  cavaliers  had  not  been  long  gone  when 
the  castle  was  alarmed  by  the  sound  of  trum 
pets,  and  the  watchman  from  the  tower  gave 
notice  of  a  cloud  of  dust,  with  Moorish  banners 
and  armor  gleaming  through  it.  It  was,  in 
fact,  the  Moorish  king,  Aben  Alhamar,  who 
pitched  his  tents  before  the  castle. 

Great  was  the  consternation   that  reigned 


ffernanOo  tbe  Saint  305 


within  the  walls,  for  all  the  men  were  absent, 
excepting  one  or  two  necessary  for  the  service 
of  the  castle.  The  dames  and  donzellas  gave 
themselves  up  to  despair,  expecting  to  be  car 
ried  away  captive,  perhaps  to  supply  some 
Moorish  harem.  The  countess,  however,  was 
of  an  intrepid  spirit  and  ready  invention.  Sum 
moning  her  duenas  and  damsels,  she  made 
them  arrange  their  hair,  and  dress  themselves 
like  men,  take  weapons  in  hand,  and  show 
themselves  between  the  battlements.  The 
Moorish  king  was  deceived,  and  supposed  the 
fort  well  garrisoned.  He  was  deterred,  there 
fore,  from  attempting  to  take  it  by  storm.  In 
the  meantime  she  despatched  a  messenger  by 
the  postern-gate,  with  orders  to  speed  swiftly 
in  quest  of  Don  Tello,  and  tell  him  the  peril 
of  the  fortress. 

At  hearing  these  tidings,  Don  Tello  and  his 
companions  turned  their  reins  and  spurred 
back  for  the  castle,  but  on  drawing  nigh,  they 
saw  from  a  hill  that  it  was  invested  by  a  nu 
merous  host  who  were  battering  the  walls.  It 
was  an  appalling  sight, — to  cut  their  way 
through  such  a  force  seemed  hopeless, — yet 
their  hearts  were  wrung  with  anguish  when 
they  thought  of  the  countess  and  her  helpless 
donzellas.  Upon  this,  Diego  Perez  de  Vargas, 
surnamed  Machacha,  stepped  forward  and  pro- 


306  Spanisb 


posed  to  form  a  forlorn  hope,  and  attempt  to 
force  a  passage  to  the  castle.  '  *  If  any  of  us 
succeed,"  said  he,  "  we  may  save  the  countess 
and  the  rock ;  if  we  fall,  we  shall  save  our 
souls  and  act  the  parts  of  good  cavaliers.  This 
rock  is  the  key  of  all  the  frontier,  on  which  the 
king  depends  to  get  possession  of  the  country. 
Shame  would  it  be  if  Moors  should  capture  it  ; 
above  all  if  they  should  lead  our  honored 
countess  and  her  ladies  captive  before  our  eyes, 
while  our  lances  remain  unstained  by  blood 
and  we  unscarred  with  a  wound.  For  my 
part,  I  would  rather  die  than  see  it.  I^ife  is 
but  short ;  we  should  do  in  it  our  best.  So, 
in  a  word,  cavaliers,  if  you  refuse  to  join  me  I 
will  take  my  leave  of  you  and  do  what  I  can 
with  my  single  arm." 

"  Diego  Perez,"  cried  Don  Tello,  "  you  have 
spoken  my  very  wishes  ;  I  will  stand  by  you 
until  the  death,  and  let  those  who  are  good 
cavaliers  and  hidalgos  follow  our  example." 

The  other  cavaliers  caught  fire  at  these 
words ;  forming  a  solid  squadron,  they  put 
spurs  to  their  horses  and  rushed  down  upon  the 
Moors.  The  first  who  broke  into  the  ranks  of 
the  enemy  was  Diego  Perez,  the  Smasher,  and 
he  opened  a  way  for  the  others.  Their  only 
object  was  to  cut  their  way  to  the  fortress,  so 
they  fought  and  pressed  forward.  The  most  of 


ffernan&o  tbe  Satnt  307 


them  got  to  the  rock  ;  some  were  cut  off  by 
the  Moors,  and  died  like  valiant  knights, 
fighting  to  the  last  gasp. 

When  the  Moorish  king  saw  the  daring  of 
these  cavaliers,  and  that  they  had  succeeded  in 
reinforcing  the  garrison,  he  despaired  of  gain 
ing  the  castle  without  much  time,  trouble,  and 
loss  of  blood.  He  persuaded  himself,  there 
fore,  that  it  was  not  worth  the  price,  and, 
striking  his  tents,  abandoned  the  siege.  Thus 
the  rock  of  Martos  was  saved  by  the  sagacity 
of  the  countess  and  the  prowess  of  Diego  Perez 
de  Vargas,  surnamed  the  Smasher. 

In  the  meantime  Don  Alvar  Perez  de  Castro 
arrived  in  presence  of  the  king  at  Hutiel. 
King  Fernando  received  him  with  benignity, 
but  seemed  to  think  his  zeal  beyond  his  pru 
dence  ;  leaving  so  important  a  frontier  so 
weakly  guarded,  sinking  the  viceroy  in  the 
courier,  and  coming  so  far  to  give  by  word  of 
mouth  what  might  easily  have  been  communi 
cated  by  letter.  He  felt  the  value,  however,  of 
his  loyalty  and  devotion,  but,  furnishing  him 
with  ample  funds,  requested  him  to  lose  no 
time  in  getting  back  to  his  post.  The  count  set 
out  on  his  return,  but  it  is  probable  the  ardor 
and  excitement  of  his  spirit  proved  fatal  to  him, 
for  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever  when  on 
the  journey,  and  died  in  the  town  of  Orgaz. 


Cbapter  £1* 

Aben  Hudiel,  the  Moorish  King  of  Murcia,  Becomes 
the  Vassal  of  King  Fernando — Aben  Alhamar  Seeks 
to  Drive  the  Christians  out  of  Andalusia — Fernando 
Takes  the  Field  against  him — Ravages  of  the  King — 
His  Last  Meeting  with  the  Queen-Mother. 

THE    death    of    Count   Alvar   Perez   de 
Castro  caused  deep  affliction  to  King 
Fernando,  for  he  considered  him  the 
shield  of  the  frontier.     While  he  was 
at  Cordova,  or  at  his  rock  of  Martos,  the  king 
felt  as  assured  of  the  safety  of  the  border  as 
though  he  had  been  there  himself.     As  soon  as 
he  could  be  spared  from  Castile  and  Leon,  he 
hastened  to  Cordova,  to  supply  the  loss  the 
frontier  had   sustained   in   the  person  of  his 
vigilant  lieutenant.     One  of  his  first  measures 
was  to  effect  a  truce  of  one  year  with  the  king 
of  Granada, — a  measure  which  each  adopted 
with   great  regret,  compelled  by  his  several 
policy  :  King  Fernando  to  organize  and  secure 
308 


tbe  Saint  309 


his  recent  conquests  ;  Aben  Alhamar  to  regu 
late  and  fortify  his  newly  founded  kingdom. 
Each  felt  that  he  had  a  powerful  enemy  to 
encounter  and  a  desperate  struggle  before  him. 
King  Fernando  remained  at  Cordova  until 
the  spring  of  the  following  year  (1241),  regu 
lating  the  affairs  of  that  noble  city,  assigning 
houses  and  estates  to  such  of  his  cavaliers  as 
had  distinguished  themselves  in  the  conquest, 
and,  as  usual,  making  rich  donations  of  towns 
and  great  tracts  of  land  to  the  Church  and  to 
different  religious  orders.  Leaving  his  brother 
Alfonso  with  a  sufficient  force  to  keep  an  eye 
upon  the  king  of  Granada  and  hold  him  in 
check,  King  Fernando  departed  for  Castile, 
making  a  circuit  by  Jaen  and  Baeza  and  An- 
dujar,  and  arriving  in  Toledo  on  the  fourth  of 
April.  Here  he  received  important  proposi 
tions  from  Aben  Hudiel,  the  Moorish  King  of 
Murcia.  The  death  of  Aben  Hud  had  left 
that  kingdom  a  scene  of  confusion.  The  al- 
caydes  of  the  different  cities  and  fortresses  were 
at  strife  with  each  other,  and  many  refused 
allegiance  to  Aben  Hudiel.  The  latter,  too, 
was  in  hostility  with  Aben  Alhamar,  the  King 
of  Granada,  and  he  feared  he  would  take  ad 
vantage  of  his  truce  with  King  Fernando,  and 
the  distracted  state  of  the  kingdom  of  Murcia, 
to  make  an  inroad.  Thus  desperately  situated, 


310  Spanfeb  papers 


Aben  Hudiel  had  sent  missives  to  king  Fer 
nando,  entreating  his  protection,  and  offering 
to  become  his  vassal. 

The  king  of  Castile  gladly  closed  with  this 
offer.  He  forthwith  sent  his  son  and  heir,  the 
Prince  Alfonso,  to  receive  the  submission  of 
the  king  of  Murcia.  As  the  prince  was  young 
and  inexperienced  in  these  affairs  of  state,  he 
sent  with  him  Don  Pelayo  de  Correa,  the  Grand 
Master  of  Santiago,  a  cavalier  of  consummate 
wisdom  and  address,  and  also  Rodrigo  Gonza 
lez  Giron.  The  prince  was  received  in  Murcia 
with  regal  honors ;  the  terms  were  soon  ad 
justed  by  which  the  Moorish  king  acknowl 
edged  vassalage  to  King  Fernando,  and  ceded 
to  him  one  half  of  his  revenues,  in  return  for 
which  the  king  graciously  took  him  under  his 
protection.  The  alcaydes  of  Alicant,  Blche, 
Oriola,  and  several  other  places  agreed  to  this 
covenant  of  vassalage,  but  it  was  indignantly 
spurned  by  the  Wall  of  Lorca  ;  he  had  been 
put  in  office  by  Aben  Hud ;  and,  now  that 
potentate  was  no  more,  he  aspired  to  exercise 
an  independent  sway,  and  had  placed  alcaydes 
of  his  own  party  in  Mula  and  Carthagena. 

As  the  Prince  Alfonso  had  come  to  solemnize 
the  act  of  homage  and  vassalage  proposed  by 
the  Moorish  king,  and  not  to  extort  submission 
from  his  subjects  by  force  of  arms,  he  contented 


3FernanDo  tbe  Saint  311 


himself  with  making  a  progress  through  the 
kingdom  and  receiving  the  homage  of  the  ac 
quiescent  towns  and  cities,  after  which  he  re 
joined  his  father  in  Castile. 

It  is  conceived  by  the  worthy  Fray  Antonio 
Agapida,  as  well  as  by  other  monkish  chroni 
clers,  that  this  important  acquisition  of  territoty 
by  the  saintly  Fernando  was  a  boon  from 
Heaven  in  reward  of  an  offering  which  he  made 
to  God  of  his  daughter  Berenguela,  whom  early 
in  this  year  he  dedicated  as  a  nun  in  the  con 
vent  of  Las  Huelgas,  in  Burgos — of  which  con 
vent  the  king's  sister  Constanza  was  abbess.* 

About  this  time  it  was  that  King  Fernando 
gave  an  instance  of  his  magnanimity  and  his 
chivalrous  disposition.  We  have  seen  the 
deadly  opposition  he  had  experienced  from  the 
haughty  house  of  Lara,  and  the  ruin  which  the 
three  brothers  brought  upon  themselves  by  their 
traitorous  hostility.  The  anger  of  the  king  was 
appeased  by  their  individual  ruin  ;  he  did  not 
desire  to  revenge  himself  upon  their  helpless 
families,  nor  to  break  down  and  annihilate  a 
house  lofty  and  honored  in  the  traditions  of 
Spain.  One  of  the  brothers,  Don  Fernando, 
had  left  a  daughter,  Dona  Sancha  Fernandez 
de  Lara  ;  there  happened  at  this  time  to  be  in 
Spain  a  cousin-german  of  the  king,  a  prince 
*  Cronica  del  Rey  Santo,  cap.  18. 


312  Spanisb 


of  Portugal,  Don  Fernando  by  name,  who  held 
the  sefioria  of  Serpa.  Between  this  prince  and 
Dona  Sancha  the  king  effected  a  marriage, 
whence  has  sprung  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
branches  of  the  ancient  house  of  Lara.*  The 
other  daughters  of  Don  Fernando  retained 
large  possessions  in  Castile ;  and  one  of  his 
sons  will  be  found  serving  valiantly  under  the 
standard  of  the  king. 

In  the  meantime  the  truce  with  Aben  Al- 
hamar,  the  King  of  Granada,  had  greatly 
strengthened  the  hands  of  that  monarch.  He 
had  received  accessions  of  troops  from  various 
parts,  had  fortified  his  capital  and  his  frontiers, 
and  now  fomented  disturbances  in  the  neigh 
boring  kingdom  of  Murcia, — encouraging  the 
refractory  cities  to  persist  in  their  refusal  of 
vassalage, — hoping  to  annex  that  kingdom  to 
his  own  newly  consolidated  dominions. 

The  Wali  of  Lorca  and  his  partisans,  the  al- 
caydes  of  Mula  and  Carthagena,  thus  insti 
gated  by  the  king  of  Granada,  now  increased 
in  turbulence,  and  completely  overawed  the 
feeble-handed  Aben  Hudiel.  King  Fernando 
thought  this  a  good  opportunity  to  give  his 
son  and  heir  his  first  essay  in  arms.  He  ac 
cordingly  despatched  the  prince  a  second  time 
to  Murcia,  accompanied  as  before  by  Don 
*  Notaspara  la  Vida  del  Santo  Rey>  p.  554. 


Sfernan&o  tbe  Saint  313 


Pelayo  de  Correa,  the  Grand  Master  of  Santi 
ago  ;  but  he  sent  him  now  with  a  strong  mili 
tary  force,  to  play  the  part  of  a  conqueror. 
The  conquest,  as  may  be  supposed,  was  easy  ; 
Mula,  Lorca,  and  Carthagena  soon  submitted, 
and  the  whole  kingdom  was  reduced  to  vassal 
age — Fernando  henceforth  adding  to  his  other 
titles  King  of  Murcia.  "Thus,"  says  Fray 
Antonio  Agapida,  "  was  another  precious  jewel 
wrested  from  the  kingdom  of  Antichrist,  and 
added  to  the  crown  of  this  saintly  monarch." 

But  it  was  not  in  Murcia  alone  that  King 
Fernando  found  himself  called  to  contend  with 
his  new  adversary  the  king  of  Granada.  That 
able  and  active  monarch,  strengthened  as  has 
been  said  during  the  late  truce,  had  made  bold 
forays  in  the  frontiers  recently  conquered  by 
King  Fernando,  and  had  even  extended  them 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Cordova.  In  all  this 
he  had  been  encouraged  by  some  degree  of 
negligence  and  inaction  on  the  part  of  King 
Fernando' s  brother  Alfonso,  who  had  been  left 
in  charge  of  the  frontier.  The  prince  took  the 
field  against  Aben  Alhamar,  and  fought  him 
manfully ;  but  the  Moorish  force  was  too 
powerful  to  be  withstood,  and  the  prince  was 
defeated. 

Tidings  of  this  was  sent  to  King  Fernando, 
and  of  the  great  danger  of  the  frontier,  as 


3i4  Spanisb  papers 


Aben  Alhamar,  flushed  with  success,  was  aim 
ing  to  drive  the  Christians  out  of  Andalusia. 
King  Fernando  immediately  set  off  for  the 
frontier,  accompanied  by  the  Queen  Juana. 
He  did  not  wait  to  levy  a  powerful  force,  but 
took  with  him  a  small  number — knowing  the 
loyalty  of  his  subjects  and  their  belligerent 
propensities,  and  that  they  wrould  hasten  to 
his  standard  the  moment  they  knew  he  was  in 
the  field  and  exposed  to  danger.  His  force 
accordingly  increased  as  he  advanced.  At 
Andujar  he  met  his  brother  Alfonso  with  the 
relics  of  his  lately  defeated  army, — all  brave 
and  expert  soldiers.  He  had  now  a  command 
ing  force,  and  leaving  the  queen  with  a  suffi 
cient  guard  at  Andujar,  he  set  off  with  his 
brother  Alfonso  and  Don  Nuno  Gonzalez  de 
Lara,  son  of  the  Count  Gonzalo,  to  scour  the 
country  about  Arjona,  Jaen,  and  Alcandete. 
The  Moors  took  refuge  in  their  strong  places, 
whence  they  saw  with  aching  hearts  the  deso 
lation  of  their  country — olive  plantations  on 
fire,  vineyards  laid  waste,  groves  and  orchards 
cut  down,  and  all  the  other  modes  of  ravage 
practised  in  these  unsparing  wars. 

The  king  of  Granada  did  not  venture  to  take 
the  field ;  and  King  Fernando,  meeting  no 
enemy  to  contend  with,  while  ravaging  the 
lands  of  Alcandete,  detached  a  part  of  his  force 


3fernan&o  tbe  Saint  315 


under  Don  Rodrigo  Fernandez  de  Castro,  a  son 
of  the  brave  Alvar  Perez,  lately  deceased,  and 
he  associated  with  him  Nuno  Gonzalez,  with 
orders  to  besiege  Arjona.  This  was  a  place 
dear  to  Aben  Alhamar,  the  King  of  Granada, 
being  his  native  place,  where  he  had  first  tasted 
the  sweets  of  power.  Hence  he  was  commonly 
called  the  King  of  Arjona. 

The  people  of  the  place,  though  they  had 
quailed  before  King  Fernando,  despised  his 
officers  and  set  them  at  defiance.  The  king 
himself,  however,  made  his  appearance  on  the 
following  day  with  the  remainder  of  his  forces, 
whereupon  Arjona  capitulated. 

While  his  troops  were  reposing  from  their 
fatigues,  the  king  made  some  further  ravages, 
and  reduced  several  small  towns  to  obedience. 
He  then  sent  his  brother  Don  Alfonso  with 
sufficient  forces  to  carry  fire  and  sword  into 
the  Vega  of  Granada.  In  the  meantime  he 
returned  to  Andujar  to  the  Queen  Juana.  He 
merely  came,  say  the  old  chroniclers,  for  the 
purpose  of  conducting  her  to  Cordova  ;  ful 
filling,  always,  his  duty  as  a  cavalier,  without 
neglecting  that  of  a  king. 

The  moment  he  had  left  her  in  her  palace  at 
Cordova,  he  hastened  back  to  join  his  brother 
in  harassing  the  territories  of  Granada.  He 
came  in  time  ;  for  Aben  Alhamar,  enraged  at 


316  Spanisb  papers 


seeing  the  destruction  of  the  Vega,  made  such 
a  vigorous  sally  that  had  Prince  Alfonso  been 
alone  in  command,  he  might  have  received  a 
second  lesson  still  more  disastrous  than  the 
first.  The  presence  of  the  king,  however,  put 
new  spirits  and  valor  into  the  troops  :  the 
Moors  were  driven  back  to  the  city,  and  the 
Christians  pursued  them  to  the  very  gates. 
As  the  king  had  not  sufficient  forces  with  him 
to  attempt  the  capture  of  this  place,  he  con 
tented  himself  with  the  mischief  he  had  done, 
and,  with  some  more  which  he  subsequently 
effected,  he  returned  to  Cordova  to  let  his 
troops  rest  from  their  fatigues. 

While  the  king  was  in  this  city  a  messenger 
arrived  from  his  mother,  the  Queen  Beren- 
guela,  informing  him  of  her  intention  of  com 
ing  to  pay  him  a  visit.  A  long  time  had 
elapsed  since  they  had  seen  each  other,  and 
her  extreme  age  rendered  her  anxious  to  em 
brace  her  son.  The  king,  to  prevent  her  from 
taking  so  long  a  journey,  set  off  to  meet  her, 
taking  with  him  his  Queen  Juana.  The  meet 
ing  took  place  in  Pezuelo  near  Burgos,*  and 
was  affecting  on  both  sides,  for  never  did  son 
and  mother  love  and  honor  each  other  more 

*  Some  chronicles,  through  mistake,  make  it  Pezuelo 
near  Ciudad  Real,  in  the  mountains  on  the  confines  o/ 
Granada. 


tbe  Saint  317 


truly.  In  this  interview,  the  queen  represented 
her  age  and  increasing  weakness,  and  her  in 
capacity  to  cope  with  the  fatigues  of  public 
affairs,  of  which  she  had  always  shared  the 
burden  with  the  king  ;  she  therefore  signified 
her  wish  to  retire  to  her  convent,  to  pass  the 
remnant  of  her  days  in  holy  repose.  King 
Fernando,  who  had  ever  found  in  his  mother 
his  ablest  counsellor  and  best  support,  entreated 
her  not  to  leave  his  side  in  these  arduous  times, 
when  the  king  of  Granada  on  one  side,  and 
the  king  of  Seville  on  the  other,  threatened  to 
put  all  his  courage  and  resources  to  the  trial. 
A  long  and  earnest,  yet  tender  and  affection 
ate,  conversation  succeeded  between  them, 
which  resulted  in  the  queen -mother's  yielding 
to  his  solicitations.  The  illustrious  son  and 
mother  remained  together  six  weeks,  enjoying 
each  other's  society,  after  which  they  separated 
— the  king  and  queen  for  the  frontier,  and  the 
queen-mother  for  Toledo.  They  were  never 
to  behold  each  other  again  upon  earth,  for  the 
king  never  returned  to  Castile. 


Gbapter 


King  Fernando's  Expedition  to  Andalusia  —  Siege  of 
Jaen  —  Secret  Departure  of  Aben  Alhamar  for  the 
Christian  Camp  —  He  Acknowledges  himself  the 
Vassal  of  the  King,  who  Enters  Jaen  in  Triumph. 

IT  was  in  the  middle  of  August,  1245,  that 
King  Fernando  set  out  on  his  grand  ex 
pedition   to   Andalusia,    whence   he   was 
never  to  return.     All  that  autumn  he  pur 
sued  the  same  destructive  course  as  in  his  pre 
ceding  campaigns,   laying  waste  the  country 
with  fire  and  sword  in  the  vicinity  of  Jaen  and 
to  Alcala  la  Real.     The  town,  too,   of  Illora, 
built  on  a  lofty  rock  and  fancying  itself  secure, 
was  captured  and  given  a  prey  to  flames,  which 
was  as  a  bale-fire  to  the  country.     Thence  he 
descended  into  the  beautiful  Vega  of  Granada, 
ravaging  that  earthly  paradise.     Aben  Alha 
mar   sallied   forth    from   Granada   with   what 
forces  he  could   collect,    and   a   bloody  battle 
318 


3fernant>o  tbe  Safnt  319 


ensued  about  twelve  miles  from  Granada.  A 
part  of  the  troops  of  Abeu  Alhamar  were  hasty 
levies,  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  but  little 
accustomed  to  combat ;  they  lost  courage, 
gave  way,  and  threw  the  better  part  of  the 
troops  in  disorder  ;  a  retreat  took  place  which 
ended  in  a  headlong  flight,  in  which  there  was 
great  carnage.* 

Content  for  the  present  with  the  ravage  he 
had  made  and  the  victory  he  had  gained, 
King  Fernando  now  drew  off  his  troops  and 
repaired  to  his  frontier  hold  of  Martos,  where 
they  might  rest  after  their  fatigues  in  security. 

Here  he  was  joined  by  Don  Pelayo  Perez 
Correa,  the  Grand  Master  of  Santiago.  This 
valiant  cavalier,  who  was  as  sage  and  shrewd 
in  council  as  he  was  adroit  and  daring  in  the 
field,  had  aided  the  youthful  Prince  Alfonso 
in  completing  the  tranquillization  of  Murcia, 
and  leaving  him  in  the  quiet  administration 
of  affairs  in  that  kingdom,  had  since  been  on 
a  pious  and  political  mission  to  the  court  of 
Rome.  He  arrived  most  opportunely  at  Mar 
tos,  to  aid  the  king  with  his  counsels,  for  there 
was  none  in  whose  wisdom  and  loyalty  the 
king  had  more  confidence. 

The  grand  master  listened  to  all  the  plans 
of  the  king  for  the  humiliation  of  the  haughty 
*  Coiide,  torn,  iii.,  c.  5. 


320  Spanisb  papers 


king  of  Granada  ;  he  then  gravely  but  most 
respectfully  objected  to  the  course  the  king 
was  pursuing.  He  held  the  mere  ravaging 
the  country  of  little  ultimate  benefit.  It 
harassed  and  irritated,  but  did  not  destroy  the 
enemy,  while  it  fatigued  and  demoralized  the 
army.  To  conquer  the  country,  they  must 
not  lay  waste  the  field,  but  take  the  towns  ; 
so  long  as  the  Moors  retained  their  strong 
holds,  so  long  they  had  dominion  over  the 
land.  He  advised,  therefore,  as  a  signal  blow 
to  the  power  of  the  Moorish  king,  the  capture 
of  the  city  of  Jaen.  This  was  a  city  of  im 
mense  strength,  the  bulwark  of  the  kingdom  ; 
it  was  well  supplied  with  provisions  and  the 
munitions  of  war ;  strongly  garrisoned  and 
commanded  by  Abu  Omar,  native  of  Cordova, 
a  general  of  cavalry,  and  one  of  the  bravest 
officers  of  Aben  Alhamar.  King  Fernando 
had  already  besieged  it  in  vain,  but  the  reason 
ing  of  the  grand  master  had  either  convinced 
his  reason  or  touched  his  pride.  He  set  him 
self  down  before  the  walls  of  Jaen,  declaring 
he  would  never  raise  the  siege  until  he  was 
master  of  the  place.  For  a  long  time  the  siege 
was  carried  on  in  the  depth  of  winter,  in  defi 
ance  of  rain  and  tempests.  Aben  Alhamar 
was  in  despair  ;  he  could  not  relieve  the  place  ; 
he  could  not  again  venture  on  a  battle  with 


ffernan&o  tbe  Saint  321 


the  king  after  his  late  defeat.  He  saw  that 
Jaeu  must  fall,  and  feared  it  would  be  fol 
lowed  by  the  fall  of  Granada.  He  was  a  man 
of  ardent  spirit  and  quick  and  generous  im 
pulses.  Taking  a  sudden  resolution,  he  de 
parted  secretly  for  the  Christian  camp,  and 
made  his  way  to  the  presence  of  King  Fer 
nando.  "  Behold  before  you,"  said  he,  "the 
king  of  Granada.  Resistance  I  find  unavail 
ing  ;  I  come,  trusting  to  your  magnanimity 
and  good  faith,  to  put  myself  under  your  pro 
tection  and  acknowledge  myself  your  vassal." 
So  saying,  he  knelt  and  kissed  the  king's  hand 
in  token  of  homage. 

"King  Fernando,"  say  the  old  chroniclers, 
"  was  not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity.  He 
raised  his  late  enemy  from  the  earth,  embraced 
him  as  a  friend,  and  left  him  in  the  sovereignty 
of  his  dominions ;  the  good  king,  however,  was 
as  politic  as  he  was  generous.  He  received 
Aben  Alhamar  as  a  vassal ;  conditioned  for 
the  delivery  of  Jaen  into  his  hands  ;  for  the 
yearly  payment  of  one  half  of  his  revenues  ; 
for  his  attendance  at  the  cortes  as  one  of  the 
nobles  of  the  empire,  and  his  aiding  Castile  in 
war  with  a  certain  number  of  horsemen. ' ' 

In  compliance  with  these  conditions,  Jaen 
was  given  up  to  the  Christian  king,  who  en 
tered  it  in  triumph  about  the  end  of  Febru- 


322  Spanisb  papers 


ary.*  His  first  care  was  to  repair  in  grand 
procession,  bearing  the  holy  cross,  to  the  prin 
cipal  mosque,  which  was  purified  and  sanc 
tified  by  the  bishop  of  Cordova,  and  erected 
into  a  cathedral  and  dedicated  to  the  most 
holy  Virgin  Mar}'. 

He  remained  some  time  in  Jaen,  giving  re 
pose  to  his  troops,  regulating  the  affairs  of 
this  important  place,  disposing  of  houses  and 
estates  among  his  warriors  who  had  most  dis 
tinguished  themselves,  and  amply  rewarding 
the  priests  and  monks  who  had  aided  him 
with  their  prayers. 

As  to  Aben  Alhamar,  he  returned  to  Gra 
nada,  relieved  from  apprehension  of  impending 
ruin  to  his  kingdom,  but  deeply  humiliated  at 
having  to  come  under  the  yoke  of  vassalage. 
He  consoled  himself  by  prosecuting  the  arts 
of  peace;  improving  the  condition  of  his  peo 
ple,  building  hospitals,  founding  institutions 
of  learning,  and  beautifying  his  capital  with 
those  magnificent  edifices  which  remain  the 
admiration  of  posterity  ;  for  now  it  was  that 
he  commenced  to  build  the  Alhambra. 

NOTE. — There  is  some  dispute  among  historians  as 
to  the  duration  of  the  siege  and  the  date  of  the  sur 
render  of  Jaen.  Some  make  the  siege  endure  eight 

*  Notas para  la  Vida,  etc.,  p.  562. 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint 


323 


months,  from  August  into  the  middle  of  April.  The 
authentic  Agapida  adopts  the  opinion  of  the  author 
of  Notas  para  la  Vida  del  Santo  Rey>  etc.,  who  makes 
the  siege  begin  on  the  3ist  December,  and  end  about 
26th  February. 


Cbapter 


Axataf,  King  of  Seville,  Kxasperated  at  the  Submis 
sion  of  the  King  of  Granada,  Rejects  the  Proposi 
tions  of  King  Fernando  for  a  Truce  —  The  Latter  is 
Encouraged  by  a  Vision  to  Undertake  the  Conquest 
of  the  City  of  Seville  —  Death  of  Queen  Berenguela 
—  A  Diplomatic  Marriage. 

KING  FERNANDO,  having  reduced  the 
fair  kingdom  of  Granada  to  vassalage, 
and  fortified  himself  in  Andalusia  by 
the  possession  of  the  strong  city  of 
Jaen,   bethought  him    now  of   returning  to 
Castile.     There  was  but  one  Moorish  potentate 
in  Spain  whose  hostilities  he  had  to  fear  :   this 
was  Axataf,  the  King  of  Seville.     He  was  the 
son  of  Aben  Hud,  and  succeeded  to  a  portion 
of  his  territories.     Warned  by  the  signal  defeat 
of  his  father  at  Xerez,  he  had  forborne  to  take 
the  field  against  the  Christians,  but  had  spared 
no  pains  and  expense  to  put  the  city  of  Seville 
in  the  highest  state  of  defense  ;  strengthening 
324 


tbe  Saint  325 


its  walls  and  towers,  providing  it  with  mu 
nitions  of  war  of  all  kinds,  and  exercising  his 
people  continually  in  the  use  of  arms.  King 
Fernando  was  loth  to  leave  this  great  frontier 
in  its  present  unsettled  state,  with  such  a 
powerful  enemy  in  the  neighborhood,  who 
might  take  advantage  of  his  absence  to  break 
into  open  hostility  ;  still  it  was  his  policy  to 
let  the  sword  rest  in  the  sheath  until  he  had 
completely  secured  his  new  possessions.  He 
sought,  therefore,  to  make  a  truce  with  King 
Axataf,  and,  to  enforce  his  propositions,  it  is 
said  he  appeared  with  his  army  before  Seville 
in  May,  1246.*  His  propositions  were  rejected, 
as  it  were,  at  the  very  gate.  It  appears  that 
the  King  of  Seville  was  exasperated  rather 
than  dismayed  by  the  submission  of  the  king 
of  Granada.  He  felt  that  on  himself  depended 
the  last  hope  of  Islamism  in  Spain  ;  he  trusted 
on  aid  from  the  coast  of  Barbary,  with  which 
his  capital  had  ready  communication  by  water ; 
and  he  resolved  to  make  a  bold  stand  in  the 
cause  of  his  faith. 

King  Fernando  retired  indignant  from  before 
Seville,  and  repaired  to  Cordova,  with  the 
pious  determination  to  punish  the  obstinacy 
and  humble  the  pride  of  the  infidel,  by  plant 
ing  the  standard  of  the  cross  on  the  walls  of 
*  Notas  para  la  Vida  del  Santo  Rey,  p.  572. 


326  Spanisb  papere 


his  capital.  Seville  once  in  his  power,  the 
rest  of  Andalusia  would  soon  follow,  and  then 
his  triumph  over  the  sect  of  Mahomet  would  be 
complete.  Other  reasons  may  have  concurred 
to  make  him  covet  the  conquest  of  Seville. 
It  was  a  city  of  great  splendor  and  wealth, 
situated  in  the  midst  of  a  fertile  country,  in  a 
genial  climate,  under  a  benignant  sky ;  and 
having  by  its  river,  the  Guadalquivir,  an  open 
highway  for  commerce,  it  was  the  metropolis 
of  all  Morisma — a  world  of  wealth  and  delight 
within  itself. 

These  were  sufficient  reasons  for  aiming  at 
the  conquest  of  this  famous  ciiy,  but  these 
were  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  holy  friars 
who  have  written  the  history  of  this  monarch, 
and  who  have  found  a  reason  more  befitting 
his  character  of  saint.  Accordingly  we  are 
told,  by  the  worthy  Fray  Antonio  Agapida, 
that  at  a  time  when  the  king  was  in  deep 
affliction  for  the  death  of  his  mother,  the 
Queen  Berenguela,  and  was  praying  with  great 
fervor,  there  appeared  before  him  Saint  Isidro, 
the  great  Apostle  of  Spain,  who  had  been 
Archbishop  of  Seville  in  old  times,  before  the 
perdition  of  Spain  by  the  Moors.  As  the 
monarch  gazed  in  reverent  wonder  at  the  vision, 
the  saint  laid  on  him  a  solemn  injunction 
to  rescue  from  the  empire  of  Mahomet  his 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  327 


city  of  Seville.  ' '  Que  asi  la  llamo  por  suya  en  la 
patria,  suya  en  la  silla,  y  suya  en  la  protection" 
"Such,"  says  Agapida,  "  was  the  true  reason 
why  this  pious  king  undertook  the  conquest  of 
Seville  ' '  ;  and  in  this  assertion  he  is  supported 
by  many  Spanish  chroniclers  ;  and  by  the  tra 
ditions  of  the  Church — the  vision  of  San  Isidro 
being  read  to  this  day  among  its  services.* 

The  death  of  Queen  Berenguela,  to  which 
we  have  just  adverted,  happened  some  months 
after  the  conquest  of  Jaen  and  submission  of 
Granada.  The  grief  of  the  king  on  hearing 
the  tidings,  we  are  told,  was  past  description. 
For  a  time  it  quite  overwhelmed  him.  ' '  Nor 
is  it  much  to  be  marvelled  at,"  says  an  old 
chronicler  ;  "  for  never  did  monarch  lose  a 
mother  so  noble  and  magnanimous  in  all  her 
actions.  She  was  indeed  accomplished  in  all 
things,  an  example  of  every  virtue,  the  mirror 
of  Castile  and  Leon  and  all  Spain,  by  whose 
counsel  and  wisdom  the  affairs  of  many  king 
doms  were  governed.  This  noble  queen," 
continues  the  chronicler,  * '  was  deplored  in  all 
the  cities,  towns,  and  villages  of  Castile  and 
I^eon ;  by  all  people,  great  and  small,  but 
especially  by  poor  cavaliers,  to  whom  she  was 
ever  a  benefactress,  "t 

*  Rodriguez,  Memorias  del  Santo  Rey,  c.  Iviii 
t  Cronica  del  Rey  Don  Fernando,  c.  xiii. 


328  Spanteb  papers 


Another  heavy  loss  to  King  Fernando,  about 
this  time,  was  that  of  the  Archbishop  of  Toledo, 
Don  Rodrigo,  the  great  adviser  of  the  king  in 
all  his  expeditions,  and  the  prelate  who  first 
preached  the  grand  crusade  in  Spain.  He 
lived  a  life  of  piety,  activity,  and  zeal,  and 
died  full  of  years,  of  honors,  and  of  riches — 
having  received  princely  estates  and  vast 
revenues  from  the  king  in  reward  of  his  servi 
ces  in  the  cause. 

These  private  afflictions  for  a  time  occupied 
the  royal  mind  ;  the  king  was  also  a  little  dis 
turbed  by  some  rash  proceedings  of  his  son, 
the  hereditary  Prince  Alfonso,  who,  being  left 
in  the  government  of  Murcia,  took  a  notion  of 
imitating  his  father  in  his  conquests,  and  made 
an  inroad  into  the  Moorish  kingdom  of  Valen 
cia,  at  that  time  in  a  state  of  confusion.  This 
brought  'on  a  collision  with  King  Jayme  of 
Aragon,  surnamed  the  Conqueror,  who  had 
laid  his  hand  upon  all  Valencia,  as  by  his  right 
of  arms.  There  was  thus  danger  of  a  rupture 
with  Aragon,  and  of  King  Fernando  having 
an  enemy  on  his  back,  while  busied  in  his 
wars  in  Andalusia.  Fortunately  King  Jayme 
had  a  fair  daughter,  the  Princess  Violante  ; 
and  the  grave  diplomatists  of  the  two  courts 
determined  that  it  were  better  the  two  children 
should  marry,  than  the  two  fathers  should 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  329 


fight.  To  this  arrangement  King  Fernando 
and  King  Jayme  gladly  assented.  They  were 
both  of  the  same  faith  ;  both  proud  of  the  name 
of  Christians ;  both  zealous  in  driving  Ma- 
hometanism  out  of  Spain,  and  in  augmenting 
their  empires  with  its  spoils.  The  marriage 
was  accordingly  solemnized  in  Valladolid  in 
the  month  of  November  in  this  same  year  ; 
and  now  the  saintly  King  Fernando  turned  his 
whole  energies  to  this  great  and  crowning 
achievement,  the  conquest  of  Seville,  the  em 
porium  of  Mahometanism  in  Spain. 

Foreseeing,  as  long  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Guadalquivir  was  open,  the  city  could  receive 
reinforcements  and  supplies  from  Africa,  the 
king  held  consultations  with  a  wealthy  man  of 
Burgos,  Ramon  Bonifaz,  or  Boniface,  byname, 
— some  say  a  native  of  France, — one  well  ex 
perienced  in  maritime  affairs,  and  capable  of 
fitting  out  and  managing  a  fleet.  This  man  he 
constituted  his  admiral,  and  sent  him  to  Biscay 
to  provide  and  arm  a  fleet  of  ships  and  galleys, 
with  which  to  attack  Seville  by  water,  while 
the  king  should  invest  it  by  land. 


Cbaptet  £  1ND* 

Investment  of  Seville — All  Spain  Aroused  to  Arms — 
Surrender  of  Alcala  del  Rio — The  Fleet  of  Admiral 
Ramon  Bonifaz  Advances  up  the  Guadalquivir — 
Don  Pelayo  Correa,  Master  of  Santiago — His  Val 
orous  deeds  and  the  Miracles  Wrought  in  his 
Behalf. 

WHEN    it  was  bruited   abroad    that 
King  Fernando  the  Saint  intended 
to  besiege  the  great  city  of  Seville, 
all  Spain  was  roused  to  arms.     The 
master  of  the  various  military  and  religious 
orders,  the  ricos  hombres,  the  princes,  cavaliers, 
hidalgos,  and  every  one  of  Castile  and  Leon 
capable  of  bearing  arms,  prepared  to  take  the 
field.     Many  of  the  nobility  of  Catalonia  and 
Portugal  repaired  to  the  standard  of  the  king, 
as  did  other   cavaliers  of  worth  and  prowess 
from  lands  far  beyond  the  Pyrenees. 

Prelates,      priests,     and     monks      likewise 
thronged  to  the  army, — some  to  take  care  of 
330 


tfernanfco  tbe  Saint  331 


the  souls  of  those  who  hazarded  their  lives  in 
this  holy  enterprise,  others  with  a  zealous  de 
termination  to  grasp  buckler  and  lance,  and 
battle  with  the  arm  of  flesh  against  the  ene 
mies  of  God  and  the  Church. 

At  the  opening  of  spring  the  assembled 
host  issued  forth  in  shining  array  from  the 
gates  of  Cordova.  After  having  gained  pos 
session  of  Carmona,  and  L,ora  and  Alcolea,  and 
of  other  neighboring  places, — some  by  volun 
tary  surrender,  others  by  force  of  arms, — the 
king  crossed  the  Guadalquivir,  with  great  diffi 
culty  and  peril,  and  made  himself  master  of 
several  of  the  most  important  posts  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Seville.  Among  these  was 
Alcala  del  Rio,  a  place  of  great  consequence, 
through  which  passed  all  the  succors  from  the 
mountains  to  the  city.  This  place  was  bravely 
defended  by  Axataf  in  person,  the  commander 
of  Seville.  He  remained  in  Alcala  with  three 
hundred  Moorish  cavaliers,  making  frequent 
sallies  upon  the  Christians,  and  effecting  great 
slaughter.  At  length  he  beheld  all  the  coun 
try  around  laid  waste,  the  grain  burnt  or 
trampled  down,  the  vineyards  torn  up,  the  cat 
tle  driven  away,  and  the  villages  consumed  ; 
so  that  nothing  remained  to  give  sustenance 
to  the  garrison  or  the  inhabitants.  Not  daring 
to  linger  there  any  longer,  he  departed  secretly 


332  Spani0b  papers 


in  the  night  and  retired  to  Seville,  and  the  town 
surrendered  to  King  Fernando. 

While  the  king  was  putting  Alcala  del  Rio 
in  a  state  of  defense,  Admiral  Ramon  Bonifaz 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Guadalquivir  with 
a  fleet  of  thirteen  large  ships  and  several  small 
vessels  and  galleys.  While  he  was  yet  hover 
ing  about  the  land,  he  heard  of  the  approach 
of  a  great  force  of  ships  from  Tangier,  Ceuta, 
and  Seville,  and  of  an  arm}'  to  assail  him  from 
the  shores.  In  this  peril  he  sent  in  all  speed 
for  succor  to  the  king ;  when  it  reached  the 
sea-coast  the  enemy  had  not  yet  appeared  ; 
wherefore,  thinking  it  a  false  alarm,  the  rein 
forcement  returned  to  the  camp.  Scarcely, 
however,  had  it  departed  when  the  Africans 
came  swarming  over  the  sea,  and  fell  upon 
Ramon  Bonifaz  with  a  greatly  superior  force. 
The  admiral,  in  no  way  dismayed,  defended 
himself  vigorously — sunk  several  of  the  enemy, 
took  a  few  prizes,  and  put  the  rest  to  flight, 
remaining  master  of  the  river.  The  king  had 
heard  of  the  peril  of  the  fleet,  and,  crossing 
the  ford  of  the  river,  had  hastened  to  its  aid  ; 
but  when  he  came  to  the  sea-coast,  he  found 
it  victorious,  at  which  he  was  greatly  rejoiced, 
and  commanded  that  it  should  advance  higher 
up  the  river. 

It  was  on  the  twentieth  of  the  month  of 


ffernan&o  tbe  Saint  333 


August  that  King  Fernando  began  formally 
the  siege  of  Seville,  having  encamped  his 
troops,  small  in  number  but  of  stout  hearts 
and  valiant  hands,  near  to  the  city  on  the 
banks  of  the  river.  From  hence  Don  Pelayo 
Correa,  the  valiant  Master  of  Santiago,  with 
two  hundred  and  sixty  horsemen,  many  of 
whom  were  warlike  friars,  attempted  to  cross 
the  river  at  the  ford  below  Aznal  Farache. 
Upon  this,  Aben  Amaken,  Moorish  King  of 
Niebla,  sallied  forth  with  a  great  host  to  de 
fend  the  pass,  and  the  cavaliers  were  exposed 
to  imminent  peril,  until  the  king  sent  one  hun 
dred  cavaliers  to  their  aid,  led  on  by  Rodrigo 
Flores  and  Alonzo  Tellez  and  Fernan  Dianez. 
Thus  reinforced,  the  Master  of  Santiago 
scoured  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  with 
his  little  army  of  scarce  four  hundred  horse 
men,  mingled  monks  and  soldiers,  spread  dis 
may  throughout  the  country.  They  attacked 
the  town  of  Gelbes,  and,  after  a  desperate  com 
bat,  entered  it,  sword  in  hand,  slaying  or 
capturing  the  Moors,  and  making  rich  booty. 
They  made  repeated  assaults  upon  the  castle 
of  Triana,  and  had  bloody  combats  with  its 
garrison,  but  could  not  take  the  place.  This 
hardy  band  of  cavaliers  had  pitched  their  tents 
and  formed  their  little  camp  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  below  the  castle  of  Aznal  Farache 


334  Spanteb  papers 


This  fortress  was  situated  on  an  eminence 
above  the  river,  and  its  massive  ruins,  remain 
ing  at  the  present  day,  attest  its  formidable 
strength. 

When  the  Moors  from  the  castle  towers 
looked  down  upon  this  little  camp  of  Christian 
cavaliers,  and  saw  them  sallying  forth  and 
careering  about  the  country,  and  returning  in 
the  evenings  with  cavalgadas  of  sheep  and 
cattle,  and  mules  laden  with  spoil,  and  long 
trains  of  captives,  they  were  exceedingly 
wroth,  and  they  kept  a  watch  upon  them,  and 
sallied  forth  every  day  to  fight  with  them,  and 
to  intercept  stragglers  from  their  camp,  and  to 
carry  off  their  horses.  Then  the  cavaliers 
concerted  together,  and  they  lay  in  ambush 
one  day  in  the  road  by  which  the  Moors  were 
accustomed  to  sally  forth,  and  when  the  Moors 
had  partly  passed  their  ambush,  they  rushed 
forth  and  fell  upon  them,  and  killed  and  cap 
tured  above  three  hundred,  and  pursued  the 
remainder  to  the  very  gates  of  the  castle. 
From  that  time  the  Moors  were  so  disheartened 
that  they  made  no  further  sallies. 

Shortly  after,  the  Master  of  Santiago  receiv 
ing  secret  intelligence  that  a  Moorish  sea- 
captain  had  passed  from  Seville  to  Triana,  on 
his  way  to  succor  the  castle  of  Aznal  Farache, 
placed  himself,  with  a  number  of  chosen  cava- 


ffernanfco  tbc  Saint  335 


Hers,  in  ambuscade  at  a  pass  by  which  the 
Moors  were  expected  to  come.  After  waiting 
a  long  time,  their  scouts  brought  word  that 
the  Moors  had  taken  another  road,  and  were 
nearly  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  stood 
the  castle.  "  Cavaliers,"  cried  the  master,  "  it 
is  not  too  late ;  let  us  first  use  our  spurs  and 
then  our  weapons,  and  if  our  steeds  prove 
good,  the  day  will  yet  be  ours."  So  saying, 
he  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  the  rest  follow 
ing  his  example,  they  soon  came  in  sight  of 
the  Moors.  The  latter,  seeing  the  Christians 
coming  after  them  full  speed,  urged  their 
horses  up  the  hill  towards  the  castle,  but  the 
Christians  overtook  them  and  slew  seven  of 
those  in  the  rear.  In  the  skirmish,  Garci 
Perez  struck  the  Moorish  captain  from  his 
horse  with  a  blow  of  his  lance.  The  Christians 
rushed  forward  to  take  him  prisoner.  On 
seeing  this,  the  Moors  turned  back,  threw 
themselves  between  their  commander  and  his 
assailants,  and  kept  the  latter  in  check  while 
he  was  conveyed  into  the  castle.  Several  of 
them  fell,  covered  with  wounds  ;  the  residue, 
seeing  their  chieftain  safe,  turned  their  reins 
and  galloped  for  the  castle,  just  entering  in 
time  to  have  the  gates  closed  upon  their  pur 
suers. 

Time  and  space  permit  not  to  recount  the 


336  Spanisb  papers 


many  other  valorous  deeds  of  Don  Pelayo 
Correa,  the  good  Master  of  Santiago,  and  his 
band  of  cavaliers  and  monks.  His  little  camp 
became  a  terror  to  the  neighborhood,  and 
checked  the  sallies  of  the  Moorish  mountain 
eers  from  the  Sierra  Morena.  In  one  of  his 
enterprises  he  gained  a  signal  advantage  over 
the  foe,  but  the  approach  of  night  threatened 
to  defraud  him  of  his  victory.  Then  the  pious 
warrior  lifted  up  his  voice  and  supplicated  the 
Virgin  Mary  in  those  celebrated  words,  Santa 
Maria,  deten  tu  dia  (Holy  Mary,  detain  thy 
day),  for  it  was  one  of  the  days  consecrated  to 
the  Virgin.  The  blessed  Virgin  listened  to  the 
prayer  of  her  valiant  votary  ;  the  daylight 
continued  in  a  supernatural  manner,  until  the 
victory  of  the  good  Master  of  Santiago  was 
completed.  In  honor  of  this  signal  favor,  he 
afterwards  erected  a  temple  to  the  Virgin  by 
the  name  of  Nuestra  Seiiora  de  Tentudia.* 

If  any  one  should  doubt  this  miracle, 
wrought  in  favor  of  this  pious  warrior  and  his 
soldiers  of  the  cowl,  it  may  be  sufficient  to 
relate  another,  which  immediately  succeeded, 
and  which  shows  how  peculiarly  he  was  under 
the  favor  of  Heaven.  After  the  battle  was 
over,  his  followers  were  ready  to  faint  with 
thirst,  and  could  find  no  stream  or  fountain ; 
*  Zuniga,  Annales  de  Sevilla,  1.  i. 


tbe  Saint 


337 


and  when  the  good  master  saw  the  distress  of 
his  soldiers,  his  heart  was  touched  with  com 
passion,  and,  bethinking  himself  of  the  miracle 
performed  by  Moses,  in  an  impulse  of  holy 
zeal  and  confidence,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
blessed  Virgin,  he  struck  a  dry  and  barren 
rock  with  his  lance,  and  instantly  there  gushed 
forth  a  fountain  of  water,  at  which  all  his 
Christian  soldiery  drank  and  were  refreshed.* 
So  much  at  present  for  the  good  Master  of 
Santiago,  Don  Pelayo  Correa. 

*  Jacob  Paranes,  Lib.  de  los  Maestros  de  St.  lago. 
Corona  Gotica^  t.  3,  §  xiii.  Zuniga,  Annales  de 
Sevilla. 


Gbapter 


King  Fernando  Changes  his  Camp—  Garci  Perez 
and  the  Seven  Moors. 

KING  FERNANDO  the  Saint  soon  found 
his  encampment  on  the  banks  of  the 
Guadalquivir  too  much  exposed  to  the 
sudden  sallies  and  insults  of  the  Moors. 
As  the  land  was  level,  they  easily  scoured  the 
fields,  carried  off  horses  and  stragglers  from 
the  camp,  and  kept  it  in  continual  alarm.  He 
drew  off,  therefore,  to  a  securer  place,  called 
Tablada,  the  same  where  at  present  is  situated 
the  hermitage  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  el  Balme. 
Here  he  had  a  profound  ditch  digged  all  round 
the  camp,  to  shut  up  the  passes  from  the  Moor 
ish  cavalry.  He  appointed  patrols  of  horse 
men  also,  completely  armed,  who  continually 
made  the  rounds  of  the  camp,  in  successive 
bands,  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night.* 

*  Corona  Gotica,  t.  3,  §  viii. 
338 


ffernan&o  tbc  Saint  339 


In  a  little  while  his  army  was  increased  by  the 
arrival  of  troops  from  all  parts, — nobles,  cava 
liers,  and  rich  men,  with  their  retainers, — nor 
were  there  wanting  holy  prelates,  who  assumed 
the  warrior,  and  brought  large  squadrons  of 
well-armed  vassals  to  the  army.  Merchants 
and  artificers  now  daily  arrived,  and  wandering 
minstrels,  and  people  of  all  sorts,  and  the  camp 
appeared  like  a  warlike  city,  where  rich  and 
sumptuous  merchandise  was  mingled  with  the 
splendor  of  arms ;  and  the  various  colors  of 
the  tents  and  pavilions,  and  the  fluttering 
standards  and  pennons  bearing  the  painted 
devices  of  the  proudest  houses  of  Spain,  were 
gay  and  glorious  to  behold. 

When  the  king  had  established  the  camp  in 
Tablada  he  ordered  that  every  day  the  foragers 
should  sally  forth  in  search  of  provisions  and 
provender,  guarded  by  strong  bodies  of  troops. 
The  various  chiefs  of  the  army  took  turns  to 
command  the  guard  who  escorted  the  foragers. 
One  day  it  was  the  turn  of  Garci  Perez,  the 
same  cavalier  who  had  killed  the  king  of  the 
Azules.  He  was  a  hardy,  iron  warrior,  sea 
soned  and  scarred  in  warfare,  and  renowned 
among  both  Moors  and  Christians  for  his  great 
prowess,  his  daring  courage,  and  his  coolness 
in  the  midst  of  danger.  Garci  Perez  had 
lingered  in  the  camp  until  some  time  after  the 


340  Spanisb  papers 


foragers  had  departed,  who  were  already  out 
of  sight.  He  at  length  set  out  to  join  them, 
accompanied  by  another  cavalier.  They  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  they  perceived  seven 
Moorish  genetes,  or  light-horsemen,  directly 
in  their  road.  When  the  companion  of  Garci 
Perez  beheld  such  a  formidable  array  of  foes, 
he  paused  and  said :  "Seiior  Perez,  let  us  re 
turn  ;  the  Moors  are  seven  and  we  but  two, 
and  there  is  no  law  in  the  duello  which  obliges 
us  to  make  front  against  such  fearful  odds." 

To  this  Garci  Perez  replied:  "  Serior,  for 
ward,  always  forward  ;  let  us  continue  on  our 
road ;  those  Moors  will  never  wait  for  us. ' ' 
The  other  cavalier,  however,  exclaimed  against 
such  rashness,  and  turning  the  reins  of  his 
horse,  returned  as  privately  as  possible  to  the 
camp,  and  hastened  to  his  tent. 

All  this  happened  within  sight  of  the  camp. 
The  king  was  at  the  door  of  his  royal  tent, 
which  stood  on  a  rising  ground  and  overlooked 
the  place  where  this  occurred.  When  the  king 
saw  one  cavalier  return  and  the  other  continue, 
notwithstanding  that  there  were  seven  Moors 
in  the  road,  he  ordered  that  some  horsemen 
should  ride  forth  to  his  aid. 

Upon  this  Don  Lorenzo  Xuarez,  who  was 
with  the  king  and  had  seen  Garci  Perez  sally 
forth  from  the  camp,  said:  "Your  majesty 


tfernan&o  tbe  Saint  341 


may  leave  that  cavalier  to  himself;  that  is 
Garci  Perez,  and  he  has  no  need  of  aid  against 
seven  Moors.  If  the  Moors  know  him  they 
will  not  meddle  with  him  ;  and  if  they  do, 
your  majesty  will  see  what  kind  of  a  cavalier 
he  is." 

They  continued  to  watch  the  cavalier,  who 
rode  on  tranquilly  as  if  in  no  apprehension. 
When  he  drew  nigh  to  the  Moors,  who  were 
drawn  up  on  each  side  of  the  road,  he  took 
his  arms  from  his  squire  and  ordered  him  not 
to  separate  from  him.  As  he  was  lacing  his 
morion,  an  embroidered  cap  which  he  wore  on 
his  head  fell  to  the  ground  without  his  per 
ceiving  it.  Having  laced  the  capellina,  he 
continued  on  his  way,  and  his  squire  after  him. 
When  the  Moors  saw  him  near  by  they  knew 
by  his  arms  that  it  was  Garci  Perez,  and  be 
thinking  them  of  his  great  renown  for  terrible 
deeds  in  arms,  they  did  not  dare  to  attack  him, 
but  went  along  the  road  even  with  him,  he  on 
one  side,  they  on  the  other,  making  menaces. 

Garci  Perez  went  on  his  road  with  great  se 
renity,  without  making  any  movement.  When 
the  Moors  saw  that  he  heeded  not  their  men 
aces,  they  turned  round  and  went  back  to 
about  the  place  where  he  dropped  his  cap. 

Having  arrived  at  some  distance  from  the 
Moors,  he  took  off  his  arms  to  return  them  to 


342  Spanfsb  jpapera 


his  squire,  and  unlacing  the  capellina,  found 
that  the  cap  was  wanting.  He  asked  the 
squire  for  it,  but  the  latter  knew  nothing  about 
it.  Seeing  that  it  had  fallen,  he  again  de 
manded  his  arms  of  the  squire,  and  returned 
in  search  of  it,  telling  his  squire  to  keep  close 
behind  him  and  look  out  well  for  it.  The 
squire  remonstrated.  "What,  senor,"  said 
he,  "  will  you  return  and  place  yourself  in 
such  great  trouble  for  a  mere  capa?  Have 
you  not  already  done  enough  for  your  honor, 
in  passing  so  daringly  by  seven  Moors,  and 
have  you  not  been  singularly  favored  by  for 
tune  in  escaping  unhurt,  and  do  you  seek  again 
to  tempt  fortune  for  a  cap  ?  ' ' 

' '  Say  no  more, ' '  replied  Garci  Perez  ;  * '  that 
cap  was  worked  for  me  by  a  fair  lady  ;  I  hold 
it  of  great  value.  Besides,  dost  thou  not  see 
that  I  have  not  a  head  to  be  without  a  cap  ?  ' ' 
alluding  to  the  baldness  of  his  head,  which 
had  no  hair  in  front.  So  saying,  he  tranquilly 
returned  towards  the  Moors.  When  Don  Lo 
renzo  Xuarez  saw  this,  he  said  to  the  king  : 
"Behold!  your  majesty,  how  Garci  Perez 
turns  upon  the  Moors  ;  since  they  will  not 
make  an  attack,  he  means  to  attack  them.  Now 
your  majesty  will  see  the  noble  valor  of  this 
cavalier,  if  the  Moors  dare  to  await  him." 
When  the  Moors  beheld  Garci  Perez  approach- 


jfernanDo  tbc  Saint  343 


ing  they  thought  he  meant  to  assault  them, 
and  drew  off,  not  daring  to  encounter  him. 
When  Don  Lorenzo  saw  this  he  exclaimed  : 
' '  Behold  !  your  majesty,  the  truth  of  what 
I  told  you.  These  Moors  dare  not  wait  for 
him.  I  know  well  the  valor  of  Garci  Perez, 
and  it  appears  the  Moors  are  aware  of  it  like 
wise." 

In  the  meantime  Garci  Perez  came  to  the 
place  where  the  capa  had  fallen,  and  beheld  it 
upon  the  earth.  Then  he  ordered  his  squire 
to  dismount  and  pick  it  up,  and  putting  it  de 
liberately  on  his  head,  he  continued  on  his  way 
to  the  foragers. 

When  he  returned  to  the  camp  from  guard 
ing  the  foragers,  Don  Lorenzo  asked  him,  in 
presence  of  the  king,  who  was  the  cavalier 
who  had  set  out  with  him  from  the  camp,  but 
had  turned  back  on  sight  of  the  Moors  ;  he 
replied  that  he  did  not  know  him,  and  he  was 
confused,  for  he  perceived  that  the  king  had 
witnessed  what  had  passed,  and  he  was  so 
modest  withal,  that  he  was  ever  embarrassed 
when  his  deeds  were  praised  in  his  presence. 

Don  Lorenzo  repeatedly  asked  him  who  was 
the  recreant  cavalier,  but  he  always  replied 
that  he  did  not  know,  although  he  knew  full 
well  and  saw  him  daily  in  the  camp.  But  he 
was  too  generous  to  say  anything  that  should 


344  Spanteb  jpapers 


take  away  the  fame  of  another,  and  he  charged 
his  squire  that  never,  by  word  or  look,  he 
should  betray  the  secret ;  so  that,  though  in 
quiries  were  often  made,  the  name  of  that 
cavalier  was  never  discovered. 


Cbapter 

Of  the  Raft  Built  by  the  Moors,  and  how  it  was 
Boarded  by  Admiral  Bonifaz — Destruction  of  the 
Moorish  Fleet — Succor  from  Africa. 

WHILE  the  army  of  King  Fernando 
the  Saint  harassed  the  city  by  land 
and  cut  off  its  supplies,  the  bold 
Bonifaz,  with  his  fleet,  shut  up  the 
river,  prevented   all  succor  from  Africa,    and 
menaced  to  attack  the  bridge  between  Triana 
and  Seville,  by  which  the  city  derived  its  sus 
tenance  from  the  opposite  country.    The  Moors 
saw  their  peril.     If  this  pass  were  destroyed, 
famine  must  be  the  consequence,  and  the  mul 
titude   of  their  soldiers,  on  which  at  present 
they  relied  for  safety,  would  then  become  the 
cause  of  their  destruction. 

So  the  Moors  devised  a  machine  by  which 
they  hoped  to  sweep  the  river  and  involve  the 
invading  fleet  in  ruin.  They  made  a  raft  so 
wide  that  it  reached  from  one  bank  to  the  other, 
and  they  placed  all  round  it  pots  and  vessels 
345 


346  Spanisb  papers 


filled  with  resin,  pitch,  tar,  and  other  combusti 
bles,  forming  what  is  called  Greek  fire,  and  upon 
it  was  a  great  number  of  armed  men  ;  and  on 
each  shore — from  the  castle  of  Triana  on  the 
one  side,  and  from  the  city  on  the  other — sallied 
forth  legions  of  troops  to  advance  at  the  same 
time  with  the  raft.  The  raft  was  preceded  by 
several  vessels  well  armed,  to  attack  the  Chris 
tian  ships,  while  the  soldiers  on  the  raft  should 
hurl  on  board  their  pots  of  fire  ;  and  at  length, 
setting  all  the  combustibles  in  a  blaze,  should 
send  the  raft  flaming  into  the  midst  of  the  hostile 
fleet,  and  wrap  it  in  one  general  conflagration. 
When  everything  was  prepared,  the  Moors 
set  off  by  land  and  water,  confident  of  success. 
But  they  proceeded  in  a  wild,  irregular  manner, 
shouting  and  sounding  drums  and  trumpets, 
and  began  to  attack  the  Christian  ships  fiercely, 
but  without  concert,  hurling  their  pots  of  fire 
from  a  distance,  filling  the  air  with  smoke,  but 
falling  short  of  their  enemy.  The  tumultuous 
uproar  of  their  preparations  had  put  all  the 
Christians  on  their  guard.  The  bold  Bonifaz 
waited  not  to  be  assailed  ;  he  boarded  the  raft, 
attacked  vigorously  its  defenders,  put  many 
of  them  to  the  sword,  and  drove  the  rest  into 
the  water,  and  succeeded  in  extinguishing  the 
Greek  fire.  He  then  encountered  the  ships  of 
war,  grappling  them  and  fighting  hand  to  hand 


jfecnanOo  tbe  Saint  347 


from  ship  to  ship.  The  action  was  furious  and 
bloody,  and  lasted  all  day.  Many  were  cut  down 
in  flight,  many  fell  into  the  water,  and  many  in 
despair  threw  themselves  in  and  were  drowned. 

The  battle  had  raged  no  less  furiously  upon 
the  land.  On  the  side  of  Seville,  the  troops 
had  issued  from  the  camp  of  King  Fernando, 
while  on  the  opposite  shore  the  brave  Mas 
ter  of  Santiago,  Don  Pelayo  Perez  Correa, 
with  his  warriors  and  fighting  friars,  had  made 
short  work  with  the  enemy.  In  this  way  a 
triple  battle  was  carried  on  :  there  was  the  rush 
of  squadrons,  the  clash  of  arms,  and  the  din 
of  drums  and  trumpets  on  either  bank,  while 
the  river  was  covered  with  vessels,  tearing  each 
other  to  pieces,  as  it  were,  their  crews  fighting 
in  the  midst  of  flame  and  smoke,  the  waves 
red  with  blood  and  filled  with  the  bodies  of 
the  slain.  At  length  the  Christians  were 
victorious  ;  most  of  the  enemies'  vessels  were 
taken  or  destroyed,  and  on  either  shore  the 
Moors,  broken  and  discomfited,  fled, — those  on 
the  one  side  for  the  gates  of  Seville,  and  those 
on  the  other  for  the  castle  of  Triana, — pursued 
with  great  slaughter  by  the  victors. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  destruction  of 
their  fleet,  the  Moors  soon  renewed  their  at 
tempts  upon  the  ships  of  Ramon  Bonifaz,  for 
they  knew  that  the  salvation  of  the  city 


348  Spanfeb  f>apers 


required  the  freedom  of  the  river.  Succor 
arrived  from  Africa,  of  ships,  with  troops  and 
provisions  ;  they  rebuilt  the  fire-ships  which 
had  been  destroyed,  and  incessant  combats, 
feints,  and  stratagems  took  place  daily,  both 
on  land  and  water.  The  admiral  stood  in  great 
dread  of  the  Greek  fire  used  by  the  Moors. 
He  caused  large  stakes  of  wood  to  be  placed  in 
the  river,  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  fire- 
ships.  This  for  some  time  was  of  avail ;  but 
the  Moors,  watching  an  opportunity  when  the 
sentinels  were  asleep,  came  and  threw  cables 
round  the  stakes,  and  fastening  the  other  ends 
to  their  vessels,  made  all  sail,  and,  by  the  help 
of  wind  and  oars,  tore  away  the  stakes  and 
carried  them  off  with  shouts  of  triumph.  The 
clamorous  exultation  of  the  Moors  betrayed 
them.  The  Admiral  Bonifaz  was  aroused. 
With  a  few  of  the  lightest  of  his  vessels  he 
immediately  pursued  the  enemy.  He  came 
upon  them  so  suddenly  that  they  were  too 
much  bewildered  either  to  fight  or  fly.  Some 
threw  themselves  into  the  waves  in  affright  ; 
others  attempted  to  make  resistance  and  were 
cut  down.  The  admiral  took  four  barks  laden 
with  arms  and  provisions,  and  with  these 
returned  in  triumph  to  his  fleet.* 

*  Cronica  Goiica>  1.  3,  $  13.     Cronica  General^  pt.  4. 

Cronica  del  Santo  Rcy,  c.  55. 


Cbapter 


Of  the  Stout  Prior,  Ferran  Ruyz,  and  how  he  Rescued 
his  Cattle  from  the  Moors  —  Further  Enterprises  of 
the  Prior,  and  of  the  Ambuscade  into  which  he 
Fell. 

IT  happened  one  day  that  a  great  part  of  the 
cavaliers  of  trie  army  were  absent,  some 
making    cavalgadas    about    the   country, 
others  guarding  the  foragers,  and  others 
gone  to  receive  the  Prince  Alfonso,  who  was 
on  his  way  to  the  camp  from  Murcia.     At  this 
time  ten  Moorish  cavaliers,  of  the  brave  lineage 
of  the  Azules,  finding  the  Christian  camp  but 
thinly  peopled,  came  prowling  about,  seeking 
where  they  might  make  a   bold  inroad.     As 
they  were  on  the  lookout  they  came  to  that 
part  of  the  camp  where  were  the  tents  of  the 
stout  Friar  Ferran  Ruyz,  prior  of  the  hospital. 
The  stout  prior  and  his  fighting  brethren,  were 
as  good  at  foraging  as  fighting.     Around  their 
quarters  there  were  several  sleek  cows  grazing, 
349 


350  Spanteb  papers 


which  they  had  carried  off  from  the  Moors. 
When  the  Azules  saw  these,  they  thought  to 
make  a  good  prize,  and  to  bear  off  the  prior's 
cattle  as  a  trophy.  Careering  lightly  round, 
therefore,  between  the  cattle  and  the  camp, 
they  began  to  drive  them  towards  the  city. 
The  alarm  was  given  in  the  camp,  and  six 
sturdy  friars  sallied  forth,  on  foot,  with  two 
cavaliers,  in  pursuit  of  the  marauders.  The 
prior  himself  was  roused  by  the  noise  ;  when 
he  heard  that  the  beeves  of  the  Church  were 
in  danger  his  ire  was  kindled ;  and  buckling 
on  his  armor,  he  mounted  his  steed  and  gal 
loped  furiously  to  the  aid  of  his  valiant  friars, 
and  the  rescue  of  his  cattle.  The  Moors  at 
tempted  to  urge  on  the  lagging  and  full-fed 
kine,  but  finding  the  enemy  close  upon  them, 
they  were  obliged  to  abandon  their  spoil  among 
the  olive-trees,  and  to  retreat.  The  prior  then 
gave  the  cattle  in  charge  to  a  squire,  to  drive 
them  back  to  the  camp.  He  would  have  re 
turned  himself,  but  his  friars  had  continued  on 
for  some  distance.  The  stout  prior,  therefore, 
gave  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloped  beyond 
them,  to  turn  them  back.  Suddenly  great 
shouts  and  cries  arose  before  and  behind  him, 
and  an  ambuscade  of  Moors,  both  horse  and 
foot,  came  rushing  out  of  a  ravine.  The  stout 
Prior  of  San  Juan  saw  that  there  was  no  re- 


tbc  Saint  351 


treat ;  and  he  disdained  to  render  himself  a 
prisoner.  Commending  himself  to  his  patron 
saint,  and  bracing  his  shield,  he  charged 
bravely  among  the  Moors,  and  began  to  lay 
about  him  with  a  holy  zeal  of  spirit  and  a  vig 
orous  arm  of  flesh.  Kvery  blow  that  he  gave 
was  in  the  name  of  San  Juan,  and  every  blow 
laid  an  infidel  in  the  dust.  His  friars,  seeing 
the  peril  of  their  leader,  came  running  to  his 
aid,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  cavaliers. 
They  rushed  into  the  fight,  shouting,  ' '  San 
Juan  !  San  Juan  ! ' '  and  began  to  deal  such 
sturdy  blows  as  savored  more  of  the  camp  than 
of  the  cloister.  Great  and  fierce  was  this  strug 
gle  between  cowl  and  turban.  The  ground 
was  strewn  with  bodies  of  the  infidels  ;  but  the 
Christians  were  a  mere  handful  among  a  mul 
titude.  A  burly  friar,  commander  of  Sietefilla, 
was  struck  to  the  earth,  and  his  shaven  head 
cleft  by  a  blow  of  a  scimeitar ;  several  squires 
and  cavaliers,  to  the  number  of  twenty,  fell 
covered  with  wounds  ;  yet  still  the  stout  Drior 
and  his  brethren  continued  fighting  with  des 
perate  fury,  shouting  incessantly,  "  San  Juan  ! 
San  Juan  ! ' '  and  dealing  their  blows  with  as 
good  heart  as  they  had  ever  dealt  benedictions 
on  their  followers. 

The  noise  of  this  skirmish,  and  the  holy 
shouts  of  the  fighting  friars,  resounded  through 


352  Spanish  papers 


the  camp.  The  alarm  was  given  :  "  The  Prior 
of  San  Juan  is  surrounded  by  the  enemy  !  To 
the  rescue  !  to  the  rescue  ! ' '  The  whole  Chris 
tian  host  was  in  agitation,  but  none  were  so 
alert  as  those  holy  warriors  of  the  Church, 
Don  Garcia,  Bishop  of  Cordova,  and  Don  San- 
cho,  Bishop  of  Coria.  Hastily  summoning 
their  vassals,  horse  and  foot,  they  bestrode 
their  steeds,  with  cuirass  over  cassock,  and 
lance  instead  of  crosier,  and  set  off  at  full  gal 
lop  to  the  rescue  of  their  brother  saints.  When 
the  Moors  saw  the  warrior  bishops  and  their 
retainers  scouring  to  the  field,  they  gave  over 
the  contest,  and  leaving  the  prior  and  his  com 
panions,  they  drew  off  towards  the  city.  Their 
retreat  was  soon  changed  to  a  headlong  flight ; 
for  the  bishops,  not  content  with  rescuing  the 
prior,  continued  in  pursuit  of  his  assailants. 
The  Moorish  foot-soldiers  were  soon  over 
taken  and  either  slaughtered  or  made  pris 
oners  ;  nor  did  the  horsemen  make  good  their 
retreat  into  the  city  until  the  powerful  arm  of 
the  Church  had  visited  their  rear  with  pious 
vengeance.*  Nor  did  the  chastisement  of 
Heaven  end  here.  The  stout  prior  of  the  hos 
pital,  being  once  aroused,  was  full  of  ardor  and 
enterprise.  Concerting  with  the  Prince  Don 
Enrique,  and  the  Masters  of  Calatrava  and  Al- 
*  Cronica  General,  pt.  4,  p.  338. 


jfernanDo  tbe  Saint  353 


cantata,  and  the  valiant  Lorenzo  Xuarez,  they 
made  a  sudden  assault  by  night  on  the  suburb 
of  Seville  called  Benaljofar,  and  broke  their  way 
into  it  with  fire  and  sword.  The  Moors  were 
roused  from  their  sleep  by  the  flames  of  their 
dwellings  and  the  shouts  of  the  Christians. 
There  was  hard  and  bloody  fighting.  The  prior 
of  the  hospital,  with  his  valiant  friars,  was  in  the 
fiercest  of  the  action,  and  their  war-cry  of  "  San 
Juan  !  San  Juan  !  "  was  heard  in  all  parts  of 
the  suburb.  Many  houses  were  burnt,  many 
sacked,  many  Moors  slain  or  taken  prisoners, 
and  the  Christian  knights  and  warrior  friars, 
having  gathered  together  a  great  cavalgada  of 
the  flocks  and  herds  which  were  in  the  suburb, 
drove  it  off  in  triumph  to  the  camp,  by  the 
light  of  the  blazing  dwellings. 

A  like  inroad  was  made  by  the  prior  and  the 
same  cavaliers,  a  few  nights  afterwards,  into 
the  suburb  called  Macarena,  which  they  laid 
waste  in  like  manner,  bearing  off  wealthy 
spoils.  Such  was  the  pious  vengeance  which 
the  Moors  brought  upon  themselves  by  med 
dling  with  the  kine  of  the  stout  prior  of  the 

hospital. 
23 


Cbaptet  £ OT1Ff . 

Bravado  of  the  Three  Cavaliers— Ambush  at  the  Bridge 
over  the  Guadayra— Desperate  Valor  of  Garci  Perez 
— Grand  Attempt  of  Admiral  Bonifaz  on  the  Bridge 
of  Boats — Seville  Dismembered  from  Triana. 


OF  all  the  Christian  cavaliers  who  distin 
guished  themselves  in  this  renowned 
siege  of  Seville,  there  was  none  who 
surpassed   in   valor    the  bold   Garci 
Perez   de   Vargas.      This  hardy  knight  was 
truly  enamoured  of  danger,  and  like  a  gamester 
with  his  gold,  he  seemed  to  have  no  pleasure 
of  his  life  except  in  putting  it  in  constant  jeop 
ardy.     One  of  the  greatest  friends  of  Garci 
Perez  was  Don  I^orenzo  Xuarez  Gallinato,  the 
same  who  had  boasted  of  the  valor  of  Garci 
Perez  at  the  time  that  he  exposed  himself  to  be 
attacked  by  seven  Moorish  horsemen.     They 
were   not   merely  companions,   but    rivals  in 
arms  ;   for  in   this   siege  it  was   the   custom 
354 


Jfernanfco  tbc  Saint  355 


among  the  Christian  knights  to  vie  with  each 
other  in  acts  of  daring  enterprise. 

One  morning,  as  Garci  Perez,  Don  Lorenzo 
Xuarez,  and  a  third  cavalier,  named  Alfonso 
Tello,  were  on  horseback,  patrolling  the  skirts 
of  the  camp,  a  friendly  contest  rose  between 
them  as  to  who  was  most  adventurous  in  arms. 
To  settle  the  question,  it  was  determined  to 
put  the  proof  to  the  Moors,  by  going  alone  and 
striking  the  points  of  their  lances  in  the  gate 
of  the  city. 

No  sooner  was  this  mad  bravado  agreed  upon 
than  they  turned  the  reins  of  their  horses  and 
made  for  Seville.  The  Moorish  sentinels,  from 
the  towers  of  the  gate,  saw  three  Christian 
knights  advancing  over  the  plain,  and  supposed 
them  to  be  messengers  or  deserters  from  the 
army.  When  the  cavaliers  drew  near,  each 
struck  his  lance  against  the  gate,  and  wheeling 
round,  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  retreated. 
The  Moors,  considering  this  a  scornful  de 
fiance,  were  violently  exasperated,  and  sallied 
forth  in  great  numbers  to  revenge  the  insult. 
They  soon  were  hard  on  the  traces  of  the 
Christian  cavaliers.  The  first  who  turned  to 
fight  with  them  was  Alfonso  Tello,  being  of  a 
fiery  and  impatient  spirit.  The  second  was 
Garci  Perez  ;  the  third  was  Don  Lorenzo,  who 
waited  until  the  Moors  came  up  with  them, 


356  Spanfsb 


when  he  braced  his  shield,  couched  his  lance, 
and  took  the  whole  brunt  of  their  charge.  A 
desperate  fight  took  place,  for  though  the 
Moors  were  overwhelming  in  number,  the  cav 
aliers  were  three  of  the  most  valiant  warriors  in 
Spain.  The  conflict  was  beheld  from  the  camp. 
The  alarm  was  given  ;  the  Christian  cavaliers 
hastened  to  the  rescue  of  their  companions  in 
arms  ;  squadron  after  squadron  pressed  to  the 
field,  the  Moors  poured  out  reinforcements  from 
the  gate  ;  in  this  way  a  general  battle  ensued, 
which  lasted  a  great  part  of  the  day,  until  the 
Moors  were  vanquished  and  driven  within  their 
walls. 

There  was  one  of  the  gates  of  Seville,  called 
the  gate  of  the  Alcazar,  which  led  out  to  a 
small  bridge  over  the  Guadayra.  Out  of  this 
gate  the  Moors  used  to  make  frequent  sallies, 
to  fall  suddenly  upon  the  Christian  camp,  or  to 
sweep  off  the  flocks  and  herds  about  its  out 
skirts,  and  then  to  scour  back  to  the  bridge, 
beyond  which  it  was  dangerous  to  pursue  them. 

The  defense  of  this  part  of  the  camp  was 
intrusted  to  those  two  valiant  compeers  in 
arms,  Garci  Perez  de  Vargas  and  Don  Lorenzo 
Xuarez  ;  and  they  determined  to  take  ample 
revenge  upon  the  Moors  for  all  the  depreda 
tions  they  had  committed.  They  chose,  there 
fore,  about  two  hundred  hardy  cavaliers,  the 


tbe  Saint  357 


flower  of  those  seasoned  warriors  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  Guadalquivir,  who  formed  the 
little  army  of  the  good  Master  of  Santiago. 
When  they  were  all  assembled  together,  Don 
Lorenzo  put  them  in  ambush,  in  the  way  by 
which  the  Moors  were  accustomed  to  pass  in 
their  maraudings,  and  he  instructed  them,  in 
pursuing  the  Moors,  to  stop  at  the  bridge,  and 
by  no  means  to  pass  beyond  it ;  for  between  it 
and  the  city  there  was  a  great  host  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  bridge  was  so  narrow  that  to 
retreat  over  it  would  be  perilous  in  the  extreme. 
This  order  was  given  to  all,  but  was  particu 
larly  intended  for  Garci  Perez,  to  restrain  his 
daring  spirit,  which  was  ever  apt  to  run  into 
peril. 

They  had  not  been  long  in  ambush  when 
they  heard  the  distant  tramp  of  the  enemy  upon 
the  bridge,  and  found  that  the  Moors  were 
upon  the  forage.  They  kept  concealed,  and 
the  Moors  passed  by  them  in  careless  and  irregu 
lar  manner,  as  men  apprehending  no  danger. 
Scarce  had  they  gone  by  when  the  cavaliers 
rushed  forth,  charged  into  the  midst  of  them, 
and  threw  them  all  into  confusion.  Many  were 
killed  or  overthrown  in  the  shock,  the  rest  took 
to  flight,  and  made  at  full  speed  for  the  bridge. 
Most  of  the  Christian  soldiers,  according  to  or 
ders,  stopped  at  the  bridge  ;  but  Don  Lorenzo, 


358  Spanteb  papers 


with  a  few  of  his  cavaliers,  followed  the  enemy 
half-way  across,  making  great  havoc  in  that 
narrow  pass.  Many  of  the  Moors,  in  their 
panic,  flung  themselves  from  the  bridge,  and 
perished  in  the  Guadayra  ;  others  were  cut 
down  and  trampled  under  the  hoofs  of  friends 
and  foes.  Don  Lorenzo,  in  the  heat  of  the 
fight,  cried  aloud  incessantly,  defying  the 
Moors,  and  proclaiming  his  name  :  "  Turn 
hither  !  turn  hither  !  'TisI,  Lorenzo  Xuarez  !  " 
But  few  of  the  Moors  cared  to  look  him  in  the 
face. 

Don  Lorenzo  now  returned  to  his  cavaliers, 
but  on  looking  round,  Garci  Perez  was  not  to 
be  seen.  All  were  dismayed,  fearing  some  evil 
fortune  had  befallen  him  ;  when,  on  casting 
their  eyes  beyond  the  bridge,  they  saw  him  on 
the  opposite  side,  surrounded  by  Moors  and 
fighting  with  desperate  valor. 

" Garci  Perez  has  deceived  us,"  said  Don 
Lorenzo,  ' '  and  has  passed  the  bridge,  contrary 
to  agreement.  But  to  the  rescue,  comrades  ! 
never  let  it  be  said  that  so  good  a  cavalier  as 
Garci  Perez  was  lost  for  want  of  our  assistance. ' ' 
So  saying,  they  all  put  spurs  to  their  horses, 
rushed  again  upon  the  bridge,  and  broke  their 
way  across,  cutting  down  and  overturning  the 
Moors,  and  driving  great  numbers  to  fling  them 
selves  into  the  river.  When  the  Moors  who 


jfernanfco  tbc  Saint  359 


had  surrounded  Garci  Perez  saw  this  band  of 
cavaliers  rushing  from  the  bridge,  they  turned 
to  defend  themselves.  The  contest  was  fierce, 
but  broken  ;  many  of  the  Moors  took  refuge  in 
the  river,  but  the  Christians  followed  and  slew 
them  among  the  waves.  They  continued  fight 
ing  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  quite  up  to 
the  gate  of  the  Alcazar  ;  and  if  the  chronicles 
of  the  times  speak  with  their  usual  veracity, 
full  three  thousand  infidels  bit  the  dust  on  that 
occasion.  When  Don  Lorenzo  returned  to  the 
camp,  and  was  in  presence  of  the  king  and  of 
numerous  cavaliers,  great  encomiums  were 
passed  upon  his  valor  ;  but  he  modestly  replied 
that  Garci  Perez  had  that  day  made  them  good 
soldiers  by  force. 

From  that  time  forward  the  Moors  attempted 
no  further  inroads  into  the  camp,  so  severe  a 
lesson  had  they  received  from  these  brave 
cavaliers.* 

The  city  of  Seville  was  connected  with  the 
suburb  of  Triana  by  a  strong  bridge  of  boats, 
fastened  together  by  massive  chains  of  iron. 
By  this  bridge  a  constant  communication  was 
kept  up  between  Triana  and  the  city,  and 
mutual  aid  and  support  passed  and  repassed. 

*  Cronica  General  de  Espana,  pt.  4.  Cronica  del 
Rey  Fernando  el  Santo,  c.  60.  Corona  Gotica,  t.  3, 
p.  126. 


360  Spanfsb  papers 


While  this  bridge  remained,  it  was  impossible 
to  complete  the  investment  of  the  city,  or  to 
capture  the  castle  of  Triana. 

The  bold  Admiral  Bonifaz  at  length  con 
ceived  a  plan  to  break  this  bridge  asunder,  and 
thus  to  cut  off  all  communication  between  the 
city  and  Triana.  No  sooner  had  this  idea  en 
tered  his  mind  than  he  landed,  and  proceeded 
with  great  speed  to  the  royal  tent,  to  lay  it  be 
fore  the  king.  Then  a  consultation  was  sum 
moned  by  the  king  of  ancient  mariners  and 
artificers  of  ships,  and  other  persons  learned  in 
maritime  affairs ;  and  after  Admiral  Bonifaz 
had  propounded  his  plan,  it  was  thought  to  be 
good,  and  all  preparations  were  made  to  carry 
it  into  effect.  The  admiral  took  two  of  his 
largest  and  strongest  ships,  and  fortified  them 
at  the  prows  with  solid  timber  and  with  plates 
of  iron  ;  and  he  put  within  them  a  great  num 
ber  of  chosen  men,  well  armed  and  provided 
with  everything  for  attack  and  defense.  Of 
one  he  took  the  command  himself.  It  was  the 
third  day  of  May,  the  day  of  the  most  Holy 
Cross,  that  he  chose  for  this  grand  and  perilous 
attempt  ;  and  the  pious  King  Fernando,  to  in 
sure  success,  ordered  that  a  cross  should  be 
carried  as  a  standard  at  the  masthead  of  each 
ship. 

On   the   third    of  May,    towards    the   hour 


tfernanfco  tbc  Saint  361 


of  noon,  the  two  ships  descended  the  Guadal 
quivir  for  some  distance,  to  gain  room  to  come 
up  with  the  greater  violence.  Here  they  waited 
the  rising  of  the  tide,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  in 
full  force,  and  a  favorable  wind  had  sprung  up 
from  the  sea,  they  hoisted  anchor,  spread  all 
sail,  and  put  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the 
current.  The  whole  shores  were  lined  on  each 
side  with  Christian  troops,  watching  the  event 
with  great  anxiety.  The  king  and  the  Prince 
Alfonso,  with  their  warriors,  on  the  one  side 
had  drawn  close  to  the  city  to  prevent  the 
sallying  forth  of  the  Moors,  while  the  good 
Master  of  Santiago,  Don  Pelayo  Perez  Correa, 
kept  watch  upon  the  gates  of  Triana.  The 
Moors  crowded  the  tops  of  their  towers,  their 
walls,  and  house-tops,  and  prepared  engines 
and  weapons  of  all  kinds  to  overwhelm  the 
ships  with  destruction. 

Twice  the  bold  admiral  set  all  sail  and  started 
on  his  career,  and  twice  the  wind  died  away 
before  he  had  proceeded  half  his  course. 
Shouts  of  joy  and  derision  rose  from  the  walls 
and  towers  of  Seville,  while  the  warriors  in  the 
ships  began  to  fear  that  their  attempt  would  be 
unsuccessful.  At  length  a  fresh  and  strong 
wind  arose  that  swelled  every  sail  and  sent  the 
ships  ploughing  up  the  waves  of  the  Guadal 
quivir.  A  dead  silence  prevailed  among  the 


362  Spanfsb  papers 


hosts  on  either  bank,  even  the  Moors  remained 
silent,  in  fixed  and  breathless  suspense.  When 
the  ships  arrived  within  reach  of  the  walls  of 
the  city  and  the  suburbs,  a  tremendous  attack 
was  commenced  from  every  wall  and  tower; 
great  engines  discharged  stones  and  offensive 
weapons  of  all  kinds,  and  naming  pots  of  Greek 
fire.  On  the  tower  of  gold  were  stationed 
catapults  and  vast  cross-bows  that  were  worked 
with  cranks,  arid  from  hence  an  iron  shower 
was  rained  upon  the  ships.  The  Moors  in 
Triana  were  equally  active  ;  from  every  wall 
and  turret,  from  house-tops,  and  from  the 
banks  of  the  river,  an  incessant  assault  was 
kept  up  with  catapults,  cross-bows,  slings, 
darts,  and  everything  that  could  annoy. 
Through  all  this  tempest  of  war,  the  ships  kept 
on  their  course.  The  first  ship  which  arrived 
struck  the  bridge  on  the  part  towards  Triana. 
The  shock  resounded  from  shore  to  shore,  the 
whole  fabric  trembled,  the  ship  recoiled  and 
reeled,  but  the  bridge  was  unbroken ;  and 
shouts  of  joy  rose  from  the  Moors  on  each  side 
of  the  river.  Immediately  after  came  tfie  ship 
of  the  admiral.  It  struck  the  bridge  just  about 
the  centre  with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  iron 
chains  which  bound  the  boats  together  snapped 
as  if  they  had  been  flax.  The  boats  were 
crushed  and  shattered  and  flung  wide  asunder, 


ffernanfco  tbc  Saint 


363 


and  the  ship  of  the  admiral  proceeded  iu  tri 
umph  through  the  open  space.  No  sooner  did 
the  king  and  the  Prince  Alfonso  see  the  suc 
cess  of  the  admiral,  than  they  pressed  with 
their  troops  closely  round  the  city,  and  pre 
vented  the  Moors  from  sallying  forth ;  while 
the  ships,  having  accomplished  their  enterprise, 
extricated  themselves  from  their  dangerous 
situation,  and  returned  in  triumph  to  their  ac 
customed  anchorage.  This  was  the  fatal  blow 
that  dismembered  Seville  from  Triana,  and  in 
sured  the  downfall  of  the  city. 


Cbapter  £  1T£ . 

Investment  of  Triana — Garci  Perez  and  the  Infanzon. 

ON  the  day   after   the   breaking  of  the 
bridge,  the  king,  the  Prince  Alfonso, 
the  Prince  .Enrique,  the  various  mas 
ters  of  the  orders,  and  a  great  part 
of  the  army,  crossed  the  Guadalquivir  and  com 
menced  an  attack  on  Triana,  while  the  bold 
Admiral   Bonifaz   approached   with   his  ships 
and  assaulted  the  place  from  the  water.     But 
the  Christian  army  was  unprovided  with  lad 
ders  or  machines  for  the  attack,  and  fought  to 
great  disadvantage.     The  Moors,  from  the  safe 
shelter  of  their  walls  and  towers,  rained  a  shower 
of  missiles  of  all  kinds.     As  they  were  so  high 
above  the  Christians,  their  arrows,  darts,  and 
lances  came  with  the  greater  force.    They  were 
skilful  with  the  cross-bow,  and  had  engines  of 
such  force  that  the  darts  which  they  discharged 
would  sometimes  pass  through  a  cavalier  all 
armed,  and  bury  themselves  in  the  earth.* 
*  Cronica  General,  pt.  4,  p.  341. 
364 


3fernant>o  tbe  Saint  365 


The  very  women  combated  from  the  walls, 
and  hurled  down  stones  that  crushed  the  war 
riors  beneath. 

While  the  army  was  closely  investing  Triana, 
and  fierce  encounters  were  daily  taking  place 
between  Moor  and  Christian,  there  arrived  at 
the  camp  a  youthful  Infanzon,  or  noble,  of 
proud  lineage.  He  brought  with  him  a  shining 
train  of  vassals,  all  newly  armed  and  appointed, 
and  his  own  armor,  all  fresh  and  lustrous, 
showed  none  of  the  dents  and  bruises  and 
abuses  of  the  war.  As  this  gay  and  gorgeous 
cavalier  was  patrolling  the  camp,  with  several 
cavaliers,  he  beheld  Garci  Perez  pass  by,  in 
armor  and  accoutrements  all  worn  and  soiled 
by  the  hard  service  he  had  performed,  and  he 
saw  a  similar  device  to  his  own,  of  white  waves, 
emblazoned  on  the  scutcheon  of  this  unknown 
warrior.  Then  the  nobleman  was  highly  ruf 
fled  and  incensed,  and  he  exclaimed.  ' '  How  is 
this  ?  who  is  this  sorry  cavalier  that  dares  to 
bear  these  devices?  By  my  faith,  he  must 
either  give  them  up  or  show  his  reasons  for 
usurping  them."  The  other  cavaliers  ex 
claimed  :  ' '  Be  cautious  how  you  speak  ;  this  is 
Garci  Perez  ;  a  braver  cavalier  wears  not  sword 
in  Spain.  For  all  he  goes  thus  modestly  and 
quietly  about,  he  is  a  very  lion  in  the  field,  nor 
does  he  assume  anything  that  he  cannot  well 


366  Spanisb  papers 


maintain.  Should  he  hear  this  which  you 
have  said,  trust  us  he  would  not  rest  quiet  until 
he  had  terrible  satisfaction." 

Now  so  it  happened  that  certain  mischief- 
makers  carried  word  to  Garci  Perez  of  what 
the  nobleman  had  said,  expecting  to  see  him 
burst  into  fierce  indignation,  and  defy  the 
other  to  the  field.  But  Garci  Perez  remained 
tranquil,  and  said  not  a  word. 

Within  a  day  or  two  after,  there  was  a  sally 
from  the  castle  of  Triana  and  a  hot  skirmish 
between  the  Moors  and  Christians ;  and  Garci 
Perez  and  the  Infanzon  and  a  number  of  cav 
aliers  pursued  the  Moors  up  to  the  barriers  of 
the  castle.  Here  the  enemy  rallied  and  made 
a  fierce  defense,  and  killed  several  of  the 
cavaliers.  But  Garci  Perez  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  and,  couching  his  lance,  charged  among 
the  thickest  of  the  foes,  and,  followed  by  a 
handful  of  his  companions,  drove  the  Moors 
to  the  very  gates  of  Triana.  The  Moors, 
seeing  how  few  were  their  pursuers  turned 
upon  them,  and  dealt  bravely  with  sword  and 
lance  and  mace,  while  stones  and  darts  and 
arrows  were  rained  down  from  the  towers 
above  the  gates.  At  length  the  Moors  took 
refuge  within  the  walls,  leaving  the  field  to  the 
victorious  cavaliers.  Garci  Perez  drew  off 
coolly  and  calmly  amidst  a  shower  of  missiles 


ffernanfco  tbc  Saint  367 


from  the  wall.  He  came  out  of  the  battle  with 
his  armor  all  battered  and  defaced  ;  his  helmet 
bruised,  the  crest  broken  off,  and  his  buckler 
so  dented  and  shattered  that  the  device  could 
scarcely  be  perceived.  On  returning  to  the 
barrier,  he  found  there  the  Infanzon,  with  his 
armor  all  uninjured,  and  his  armorial  bearing 
as  fresh  as  if  just  emblazoned,  for  the  vaunting 
warrior  had  not  ventured  beyond  the  barrier. 
Then  Garci  Perez  drew  near  to  the  Infanzon, 
and  eying  him  from  head  to  foot,  "  Sefior  cava 
lier,"  he  said,  "  you  may  well  dispute  my 
right  to  wear  this  honorable  device  in  my 
shield,  since  you  see  I  take  so  little  care  of  it 
that  it  is  almost  destroyed.  You,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  worthy  of  bearing  it.  You  are  the 
guardian  angel  of  honor,  since  you  guard  it  so 
carefully  as  to  put  it  to  no  risk.  I  will  only 
observe  to  you  that  the  sword  kept  in  the 
scabbard  rusts,  and  the  valor  that  is  never  put 
to  the  proof  becomes  sullied."* 

At  these  words  the  Infanzon  was  deeply 
humiliated,  for  he  saw  that  Garci  Perez  had 
heard  of  his  empty  speeches,  and  he  felt  how 
unworthily  he  had  spoken  of  so  valiant  and 
magnanimous  a  cavalier.  "  Senor  cavalier," 
he  said,  "  pardon  my  ignorance  and  presump 
tion  ;  you  alone  are  worthy  of  bearing  those 

*  Cronica  General,  pt.  4.     Corona  Gotica,  t.  3,  \  16. 


368 


Spantsb  papers 


arms,  for  you  derive  not  nobility  from  them, 
but  ennoble  them  by  your  glorious  deeds. ' ' 

Then  Garci  Perez  blushed  at  the  praises  he 
had  thus  drawn  upon  himself,  and  he  regretted 
the  harshness  of  his  words  toward  the  Infan- 
zon,  and  he  not  merely  pardoned  him  all  that 
had  passed,  but  gave  him  his  hand  in  pledge 
of  amity,  and  from  that  time  they  were  close 
friends  and  companions  in  arms.* 


*  Cronica  General ',  pt.  4. 
Corona  Gotica,  t.  3,  g  16. 


Cronica  del  Rey  Santo. 


Cbaptet  £  £ . 

Capitulation  of  Seville— Dispersion   of  the  Moorish 
Inhabitants — Triumphant  Entry  of  King  Fernando. 

ABOUT  this  time  there  arrived  in  Seville 
a  Moorish  alfaqui,  named  Orias,  with 
a  large  company  of  warriors,  who 
came  to  this  war  as  if  performing  a 
pilgrimage,  for  it  was  considered  a  holy  war  no 
less  by  infidels  than  Christians.  This  Orias 
was  of  a  politic  and  crafty  nature,  and  he  sug 
gested  to  the  commander  of  Seville  a  stratagem 
by  which  they  might  get  Prince  Alfonso  in 
their  power,  and  compel  King  Fernando  to 
raise  the  siege  by  way  of  ransom.  The  coun 
sel  of  Orias  was  adopted,  after  a  consultation 
with  the  principal  cavaliers,  and  measures 
taken  to  carry  it  into  execution  ;  a  Moor  was 
sent,  therefore,  as  if  secretly  and  by  stealth,  to 
Prince  Alfonso,  and  offered  to  put  him  in  pos 
session  of  two  towers  of  the  wall,  if  he  would 

24  369 


Spanish  papers 


come  in  person  to  receive  them,  which  towers 
once  in  his  possession,  it  would  be  easy  to  over 
power  the  city. 

Prince  Alfonso  listened  to  the  envoy  with 
seeming  eagerness,  but  suspected  some  deceit, 
and  thought  it  unwise  to  put  his  person  in 
such  jeopardy.  L,est,  however,  there  should 
be  truth  in  his  proposals,  a  party  of  chosen 
cavaliers  were  sent  as  if  to  take  possession  of 
the  towers,  and  with  them  was  Don  Pero 
Nunez  de  Guzman,  disguised  as  the  prince. 

When  they  came  to  the  place  where  the 
Moors  had  appointed  to  meet  them,  they  be 
held  a  party  of  infidels  strongly  armed,  who 
advanced  with  sinister  looks,  and  attempted  to 
surround  Don  Nunez,  but  he,  being  on  his 
guard,  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and,  break 
ing  through  the  midst  of  them,  escaped.  His 
companions  followed  his  example,  all  but  one, 
who  was  struck  from  his  horse  and  cut  to 
pieces  by  the  Moors.* 

Just  after  this  event  there  arrived  a  great 
reinforcement  to  the  camp  from  the  city  of 
Cordova,  bringing  provisions  and  various 
munitions  of  war.  Finding  his  army  thus 
increased,  the  king  had  a  consultation  with 
Admiral  Bonifaz,  and  determined  completely 
to  cut  off  all  communication  between  Seville 
*  Cronica  Genera^  pt.  4,  p.  424. 


jfeman&o  tbe  Saint  371 


and  Triana,  for  the  Moors  still  crossed  the 
river  occasionally  by  fording.  When  they 
were  about  to  carry  their  plan  into  effect, 
the  crafty  Alfaqui  Orias  crossed  to  Triana, 
accompanied  by  a  number  of  Ganzules.  He 
was  charged  with  instructions  to  the  garri 
son,  and  to  concert  some  mode  of  reuniting 
their  forces,  or  of  effecting  some  blow  upon  the 
Christian  camp  ;  for  unless  they  could  effect  a 
union  and  co-operation,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  make  much  longer  resistance. 

Scarce  had  Orias  passed,  when  the  Christian 
sentinels  gave  notice.  Upon  this,  a  detach 
ment  of  the  Christian  army  immediately 
crossed  and  took  possession  of  the  opposite 
shore,  and  Admiral  Bonifaz  stationed  his  fleet 
in  the  middle  of  the  river.  Thus  the  return 
of  Orias  was  prevented,  and  all  intercourse  be 
tween  the  places,  even  by  messenger,  com 
pletely  interrupted.  The  city  and  Triana  were 
now  severally  attacked,  and  unable  to  render 
each  other  assistance.  The  Moors  were  daily 
diminishing  in  number ;  many  slain  in  battle, 
many  taken  captive,  and  many  dying  of  hun 
ger  and  disease.  The  Christian  forces  were 
daily  augmenting,  and  were  animated  by 
continual  success,  whereas  mutiny  and  sedi 
tion  began  to  break  out  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city.  The  Moorish  commander,  Axataf, 


372  Spanieb  ipapers 


therefore,  seeing  all  further  resistance  vain, 
sent  ambassadors  to  capitulate  with  King 
Fernando.  It  was  a  hard  and  humiliating 
struggle  to  resign  this  fair  city,  the  queen  of 
Andalusia,  the  seat  of  Moorish  sway  and 
splendor,  and  which  had  been  under  Moorish 
domination  ever  since  the  Conquest. 

The  valiant  Axataf  endeavored  to  make 
various  conditions  ;  that  King  Fernando  should 
raise  the  siege  on  receiving  the  tribute  which 
had  hitherto  been  paid  to  the  miramamolin. 
This  being  peremptorily  refused,  he  offered 
to  give  up  a  third  of  the  city,  and  then  half, 
building  at  his  own  cost  a  wall  to  divide  the 
Moorish  part  from  the  Christian.  King  Fer 
nando,  however,  would  listen  to  no  such  terms. 
He  demanded  the  entire  surrender  of  the  place, 
with  the  exception  of  the  persons  and  effects 
of  the  inhabitants,  and  permitting  the  com 
mander  to  retain  possession  of  St.  lyucar, 
Aznal  Farache,  and  Niebla.  The  commander 
of  Seville  saw  the  sword  suspended  over  his 
head,  and  had  to  submit ;  the  capitulations  of 
the  surrender  were  signed,  when  Axataf  made 
one  last  request,  that  he  might  be  permitted  to 
demolish  the  grand  mosque  and  the  principal 
tower  (or giralda)  of  the  city.*  He  felt  that 
these  would  remain  perpetual  monuments  of 
*  Mariana,  1.  13,  c.  7. 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  373 


his  disgrace.  The  Prince  Alfonso  was  present 
when  this  last  demand  was  made,  and  his 
father  looked  at  him  significantly ,  as  if  he  de 
sired  the  reply  to  come  from  his  lips.  The 
prince  rose  indignantly  and  exclaimed,  that  if 
there  should  be  a  single  tile  missing  from  the 
temple,  or  a  single  brick  from  the  tower,  it 
should  be  paid  by  so  many  lives  that  the 
streets  of  Seville  should  run  with  blood.  The 
Moors  were  silenced  by  this  reply,  and  pre 
pared  with  heavy  hearts  to  fulfil  the  capitula 
tion.  One  month  was  allowed  them  for  the 
purpose,  the  alcazar,  or  citadel,  of  Seville  being 
given  up  to  the  Christians  as  a  security. 

On  the  twenty-third  day  of  November  this 
important  fortress  was  surrendered,  after  a 
siege  of  eighteen  months.  A  deputation  of 
the  principal  Moors  came  forth  and  presented 
King  Fernando  with  the  keys  of  the  city  ;  at 
the  same  time  the  aljamia,  or  council  of  the 
Jews,  presented  him  with  the  key  of  Jewry, 
the  quarter  of  the  city  which  they  inhabited. 
This  key  was  notable  for  its  curious  workman 
ship.  It  was  formed  of  all  kinds  of  metals. 
The  guards  of  it  were  wrought  into  letters, 
bearing  the  following  signification :  "  God 
will  open — the  king  will  enter."  On  the  ring 
was  inscribed  in  Hebrew:  "The  King  of 
kings  will  enter ;  all  the  world  will  behold 


374  Spanisb  papers 


him."  This  key  is  still  preserved  in  the  ca 
thedral  of  Seville,  in  the  place  where  repose 
the  remains  of  the  sainted  King  Fernando.* 

During  the  month  of  grace  the  Moors  sold 
such  of  their  effects  as  they  could  not  carry 
with  them,  and  the  king  provided  vessels  for 
such  as  chose  to  depart  for  Africa.  Upwards 
of  one  hundred  thousand,  it  is  said,  were  thus 
convoyed  by  Admiral  Bonifaz,  while  upwards 
of  two  hundred  thousand  dispersed  themselves 
throughout  such  of  the  territory  of  Andalusia 
as  still  remained  in  possession  of  the  Moors. 

When  the  month  was  expired,  and  the  city 
was  evacuated  by  its  Moorish  inhabitants, 
King  Fernando  the  Saint  entered  in  solemn 
triumph,  in  a  grand  religious  and  military 
procession.  There  were  all  the  captains  and 
cavaliers  of  the  army,  in  shining  armor,  with 
the  prelates,  and  masters  of  the  religious  and 
military  orders,  and  the  nobility  of  Castile 
Leon,  and  Aragon,  in  their  richest  apparel. 
The  streets  resounded  with  the  swelling  notes 

*  In  Castile,  whenever  the  kings  entered  any  place 
where  there  was  a  synagogue,  the  Jews  assembled  in 
council  and  paid  to  the  Monteros,  or  bull-fighters, 
twelve  maravedis  each,  to  guard  them,  that  they  should 
receive  no  harm  from  the  Christians  ;  being  held  in 
such  contempt  and  odium,  that  it  was  necessary  they 
should  be  under  the  safeguard  of  the  king,  not  to  be 
injured  or  insulted. — Zuniga,  Annales  de  Sevilla. 


jfernan&o  tbe  Saint  375 


of  martial  music  and  with  the  joyous  accla 
mations  of  the  multitude. 

In  the  midst  of  the  procession  was  the  ven 
erable  effigy  of  the  most  Holy  Mary,  on  a 
triumphal  car  of  silver,  wrought  with  admira 
ble  skill ;  and  immediately  after  followed  the 
pious  king,  with  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand, 
and  on  his  left  was  Prince  Alfonso  and  the 
other  princes. 

The  procession  advanced  to  the  principal 
mosque,  which  had  been  purified  and  conse 
crated  as  a  Christian  temple,  where  the  tri 
umphal  car  of  the  Holy  Virgin  was  placed  at 
the  grand  altar.  Here  the  pious  king  knelt 
and  returned  thanks  to  Heaven  and  the  Virgin 
for  this  signal  victory,  and  all  present  chanted 
Te  Deum  Laudamus. 


Cbapter 


Death  of  King  Fernando. 

WHEN  King  Fernando  had  regulated 
everything  for  the  good  govern 
ment  and  prosperity  of  Seville,  he 
sallied  forth  with  his  conquering 
army  to  subdue  the  surrounding  country.  He 
soon  brought  under  subjection  Xerez,  Medina 
Sidonia,  Alua,  Bepel,  and  many  other  places 
near  the  sea-coast  ;  some  surrendered  volun 
tarily,  others  were  taken  by  force  ;  he  main 
tained  a  strict  peace  with  his  vassal  the  king 
of  Granada,  but  finding  not  sufficient  scope  for 
his  arms  in  Spain,  and  being  inflamed  with  a 
holy  zeal  in  the  cause  of  the  faith,  he  deter 
mined  to  pass  over  into  Africa,  and  retaliate 
upon  the  Moslems  their  daring  invasion  of  his 
country.  For  this  purpose  he  ordered  a  power 
ful  armada  to  be  prepared  in  the  ports  of  Canta- 
bria,  to  be  put  under  the  command  of  the  bold 
Admiral  Bonifaz. 

376 


tfernan&o  tbe  Saint  377 


In  the  midst  of  his  preparations,  which 
spread  consternation  throughout  Mauritania, 
the  pious  king  fell  dangerously  ill  at  Seville  of 
a  dropsy.  When  he  found  his  dying  hour 
approaching,  he  made  his  death-bed  confession, 
and  requested  the  holy  Sacrament  to  be  admin 
istered  to  him.  A  train  of  bishops  and  other 
clergy,  among  whom  was  his  son  Philip,  Arch 
bishop  of  Seville,  brought  the  Sacrament  into 
his  presence.  The  king  rose  from  his  bed, 
threw  himself  on  his  knees,  with  a  rope  round 
his  neck  and  a  crucifix  in  his  hand,  and  poured 
forth  his  soul  in  penitence  and  prayer.  Hav 
ing  received  the  viatica  and  the  holy  Sacrament, 
he  commanded  all  ornaments  of  royalty  to  be 
taken  from  his  chamber.  He  assembled  his 
children  round  his  bedside,  and  blessed  his  son 
the  Prince  Alfonso,  as  his  first-born  and  the 
heir  of  his  throne,  giving  him  excellent  advice 
for  the  government  of  his  kingdom,  and  char 
ging  him  to  protect  the  interests  of  his  brethren. 
The  pious  king  afterwards  fell  into  an  ecstasy 
or  trance,  in  which  he  beheld  angels  watching 
round  his  bed  to  bear  his  soul  to  heaven.  He 
awoke  from  this  state  of  heavenly  rapture,  and, 
asking  for  a  candle,  he  took  it  in  his  hand  and 
made  his  ultimate  profession  of  the  faith.  He 
then  requested  the  clergy  present  to  repeat  the 
litanies,  and  to  chant  the  Te  Deum  Laudamus, 


373  Spanisb  papers 


In  chanting  the  first  verse  of  the  hymn,  the 
king  gently  inclined  his  head,  with  perfect 
serenity  of  countenance,  and  rendered  up  his 
spirit.  "  The  hymn,"  says  the  ancient  chron 
icle,  "  which  was  begun  on  earth  by  men,  was 
continued  by  the  voices  of  angels,  which  were 
heard  by  all  present. ' '  These  doubtless  were 
the  angels  whom  the  king  in  his  ecstasy  had 
beheld  around  his  couch,  who  now  accom 
panied  him,  in  his  glorious  ascent  to  heaven, 
with  songs  of  holy  triumph.  Nor  was  it  in  his 
chamber  alone  that  these  voices  were  heard 
but  in  all  the  royal  alcazars  of  Seville,  the  sweet 
est  voices  were  heard  in  the  air  and  seraphic 
music,  as  of  angelic  choirs,  at  the  moment 
that  the  sainted  king  expired.*  He  died  on 
the  3oth  of  May,  the  vespers  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  in  the  year  of  the  Incarnation  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-two,  aged 
seventy-three  years — having  reigned  thirty-five 
years  over  Castile  and  twenty  over  Leon. 

Two  days  after  his  death  he  was  interred  in 
his  royal  chapel  in  the  Holy  Church,  in  a 
sepulchre  of  alabaster,  which  still  remains.  It 
is  asserted  by  grave  authors  that  at  the  time  of 
putting  his  body  in  the  sepulchre,  the  choir  of 

*  Pablo de  Espinosa,  Grandesas  de  Sevilla,  fol.  146. 
Cronica  del  Santo  Rey>  78.  Corona  Gotica,  t.  3,  p. 
166. 


ffernanfco  tbe  Saint  379 


angels  again  was  heard  chanting  his  eulogium, 
and  filling  the  air  with  sweet  melody  in  praise 
of  his  virtues.* 

When  Alhamar,  the  Moorish  King  of  Grana 
da,  heard  of  his  death,  he  caused  great  demon 
strations  of  mourning  to  be  made  throughout 
his  dominions.  During  his  life  he  sent  yearly 
a  number  of  Moors  with  one  hundred  wax 
tapers,  to  assist  at  his  exequies,  which  cere 
mony  was  observed  by  his  successors,  until 
the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Granada  by  Fer 
nando  the  Catholic,  f 

*  Argoti  de  Molina,  Noble za  de  Andaluzia,  1.  i,  c. 
21.  Tomas  Bocio,  Signales  de  la  Iglesia^  1.  29.  Don 
Rodrigo  Sanchez,  Bishop  of  Palencia,  pt.  3,  c.  40. 

t  Pablo  de  Bspinosa,  fol.  146. 

THE  END. 


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